We are living in interesting times. Many people are facing things that perhaps they never thought they would ever face. The times we live in can be challenging and difficult. Perhaps you are facing a drought of some sort. Perhaps there is some area of your life in which you are not seeing growth and development as you had hoped. Droughts can come in many forms. We can experience a ‘drought season’ in our finances, relationships, business, career, or just emotionally or spiritually. It is hoped that this message will encourage you, no matter what season you may be facing. As you read these notes, there is a prophetic element in them. Perhaps they will be a ‘word from the Lord’ for you, in what you are facing.

DEFINITION OF DROUGHT

The dictionary gives us the following definition:  A drought is a period of dryness, especially when prolonged; specifically : one that causes damage or prevents growth. It can also be a prolonged or chronic shortage or lack of something expected or desired. Just note the following:

1. It is a period of dryness.
2. It can be short and it can be long or prolonged.
3. It causes damage.
4. It prevents growth.
5. It is associated with a shortage or lack.
6. 6. It can also be a time when that which we had expected or hoped for did not materialize.

We all face times like these.

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WE CAN DO NOTHING OF LASTING VALUE WITHOUT HIS PRESENCE IN OUR LIVES.

Nobody wants to waste their lives. We all want our lives to have an effect and to produce lasting, good fruit. We all want to leave a legacy that our children and our families can be proud of. We all want to be remembered for all the right reasons. It is for this reason that the pursuit of His presence in our lives is so vitally important.

John 15:5 'Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.'

John 15:16 'You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit - fruit that will last ...'

WE NEED HIM AND WE NEED HIS PRESENCE IN OUR LIVES.

Quote: My later Father, Pastor Ed Roebert, said the following: 'We can do without many things, but none of us can do without Christ!' We recently published this quote on social media and it produced a venomous and caustic response. People do not want to hear this, but the Children of God know it to be true.

Hebrews 1:3 'The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.'

If He sustains all things, then He is the One who will sustain you and me. The world may think that they can sustain themselves, or that they are reliant on nothing and nobody, but they deceive themselves.

2 Corinthians 2:15-16 'Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume.'

We need His sustaining presence in our lives. When His presence is a reality in our lives, any doubt will be removed.

John 21:12 "Now come and have some breakfast!" Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask Him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, I need You in my life. I need to know and experience Your presence each and every day. May I never try to do my own things, ignoring and thinking that I can do it on my own or without You. May Your goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life and may I dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen.

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WITH THE PRESENCE OF GOD CAME THE MIRACLE

Jesus and His presence in any particular situation almost always leads to a miracle or many miracles. His presence in the life of people in the Bible often ended up in a miracle taking place. There is a link between where the presence of Jesus is and the occurrence of miracles. If the presence of Jesus is in your church, there can be miracles in your church. If the presence of Jesus is in your life group, there can be miracles in your life group. If the presence of Jesus is in your business there can be miracles in your business. If the presence of Jesus is in your family there can be miracles in your family. If the presence of Jesus is in your marriage there can be miracles in your marriage.

SUCCESS GOES WHERE HIS PRESENCE IS.

Success is where Jesus is. The most precious words for me in both these stories comes from the second story. It is a moment when the Disciples suddenly realise who it is that is speaking to them.

John 21:7 ... the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord."

The moment we can get to that stage where we recognise the hand of God in our lives and that it is He who has given us the success, we can enjoy that success. The Lord gives success to those things that He is involved with. Years ago, I met with a lawyer. This lawyer had helped many churches and ministries get their legal affairs in order. In the process he had seen many different individuals and organisations with their struggles and successes. As we began to chat he said to me that there were two types of organisations that he had seen from his experience. He said it this way: 'There are those who put $100 in and get 5 cents out and those who put 5 cents in and get $100 out.' It was a strange illustration and I asked him to explain. He said that some of these organisations that he has helped seemed to struggle. They put in lots of effort to make it succeed, but although they had good intentions, it never seemed to really be a success. Then He said that there were others who hardly put in any effort, but every effort seemed to bring fruit and flourish. In the beginning he could not understand why. But he said that over time he began to realise that those that seemed to grow and flourish were those on whom the hand of God rested. Those that were a constant struggle, he had wondered if they were things that God had actually called for or not? As I explained to him how our little initiative had grown and almost run away with us, he said: 'You see, you put 5 cents in and you got $100 out!' I believe this illustration can be applied to all areas of life. It can apply if you are in the ministry, in a job or in your own business. When God is in it, there will be success and provision. The Disciples here had tried to do it alone. They put $100 in and got nothing out, except exhaustion and frustration, but when Jesus arrives on the scene and His presence was with them, success was an automatic and unearned path to success. - At the end of the day, what is success to a fisherman? A catch of fish of course!

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THE ARRIVAL OF JESUS WAS THE TURNING POINT IN BOTH STORIES.
The arrival of Jesus and His presence is always the turning point in every situation. Here we see two similar stories with one major common thread - Jesus pitches up and everything changes. He is the turning point in each of our lives as Christians. In fact, He is the turning point of all of history as we know it. When He comes into our lives we call it conversion. The very definition of the word conversion means a process of change in which we change from our state to a completely different state. It is much like when ice melts and turns into something completely different, water.

BE AWARE OF DOING YOUR OWN THING.

John 21:3 Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will also come with you."

These men were discouraged and frustrated and in that moment of weakness had decided to do their own thing. This was not an instruction that they had received from the Lord. They did what they felt like doing and they ended up doing what 'seemed good unto them'. What God instructs and commands He blesses. When we do our own thing, outside of what the Lord has told us to do, we will not enjoy success in the long term. This is why it so important for us, as His children, to hear His voice and obey, because it is a key to the supernatural success that only God can give. When we follow His instructions, it is a guarantee of success. Not only had they not received instructions to go fishing, but they went fishing without Jesus. It is like being selected to run in an athletic race. In the race we are assigned a track in which to run. However if we arrive at the race and decide that we do not like the course and bring our own paint and paintbrush to paint our own track, we will be disqualified and success will not come to us. We need to run in alignment with His instruction and with His abiding presence. We need to know that 'God is in our boat'! Years ago we used to sing a song with the following words: "I have no power of my own..." - Without Him in our lives, nothing is worthwhile, but with Him, everything can have meaning, purpose and effectiveness.

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Luke 5:1-11

Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret; and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the people from the boat. When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." Simon answered and said, "Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets." When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break; so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus' feet, saying, "Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!" For amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men." When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.

John 21:1-12

After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way. Simon Peter, and Thomas, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will also come with you." They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing. But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. So Jesus said to them, "Children, you do not have any fish, do you?" They answered Him, "No." And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch." So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord." So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish. So when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish which you have now caught." Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples ventured to question Him, "Who are You?" knowing that it was the Lord.

Common aspects to these stories:

1. They are both stories about a fishing experience.

2. They are both stories about successful professional fisherman.

3. They are both stories about hard work and toil.

4. They are both stories about something that happened in the night season.

5. They are both stories of determination.

6. They are both stories about failure and an unsuccessful experience.

7. They are both stories about success that came after failure.

8. They are both stories about doing things without God.

9. In both stories the Lord arrives after the event.

10. They are both stories that include an instruction coming from Jesus.

11. They are both stories about a supernatural miracle.

12. They are both stories about a change of heart.

13. In both stories they recognised Jesus as God.

14. They are both stories about the presence of Jesus and the difference it made.

15. Both stories are stories in which all doubt is removed.

Differing aspects to these stories:

1. The first story occurred before the Disciples became Disciples and the other one occurred after they had been Disciples for some time.

2. The first story occurred prior to Jesus' death and the second one occurred after His death and resurrection.

3. The first story had an unspecified great quantity of fish and the second had a specified great quantity of fish (153).

4. In the first story the nets broke and two boats were filled and almost sank, in the second story the nets were filled and they held and there was one small boat that made it to shore without problems.

5. In the one story Peter fell at His feet and asked Him to go away, in the second story Peter jumps out of the boat and swims to Jesus in an attempt to get close to Him as fast as possible.

6. In the first story we see a radical conversion and in the second story we see a radical response.

7. In the first story we see that people were amazed and in the second we see a realisation comes on the Disciples.

8. In the first story there was change in destiny (From now on you will be fishers of men) and in the second there was a change in understanding (revelation).

9. In the first story we see an instruction to be 'fishers of men' and in the second story we see an instruction to 'feed my sheep'.

10. In the first story they followed Jesus and in the second story they sat and ate with Him.

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DON'T FORGET TO BE THANKFUL
After giving her precious son over to God, she starts rejoicing.

1 Samuel 2:1 Then Hannah prayed: 'My heart rejoices in the LORD! The LORD has made me strong. Now I have an answer for my enemies; I rejoice because you rescued me.'

It is so important to remember to be thankful and to live a life of praise. It is part of having that different attitude. Let praise and thankfulness dominate your heart and mind. It is an indication of our dependence on God. Don't let negativity overwhelm you, but remember to praise God in your situation. Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice. It is interesting to note that God had stopped her from having children.

1 Samuel 1:6 'the LORD had closed her womb!'

One may ask why He did this? I certainly would! Perhaps He knew that she had it in her to be the example we all need!

GOD WILL DO MORE THAN YOU ASK OR THINK
God did not just leave it there. God honored Hannah for honoring her pledge to Him. He blessed her with 3 more sons and 2 more daughters. From nothing to six children. That is more than she could have asked or imagined. What is more, because of Hannah and what she did, her name goes down in history as one of the remarkable women of faith. And still today many parents give the name Hannah to their children. Hannah is the 25th most popular name out of the top 100 names for girls. The other wife, who seemed to have it all, is not remembered at all. So be like Hannah and continue to believe God for what seems to be impossible!

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ATTITUDE CHANGE COMES BEFORE A CHANGE IN POSITION
This is not such an easy point. Let's look at what happened to Hannah.

1 Samuel 1:17 - 18 Eli answered, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him." She said, "May your servant find favor in your eyes." Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.

Nothing had changed except that which she had control over - her attitude! When you have control over nothing, you still have control over your attitude. Often it is our attitude that stands in the way of breakthrough. We need to do what we can in the area we have control over and then believe God to do His part. After Hannah's encounter with God her attitude changed before her condition did. She started to live a normal life again prior to having the answer she longed for. Contentment comes with believing God and finding rest in Him. Contentment starts in the heart not with possessions. Is there perhaps an attitude that you need to change in your life?

THE LORD WILL REMEMBER YOU
Just as the Lord remembered Hannah, He will remember you in your situation.
Scripture says, "...and the Lord remembered her." (1 Samuel 1:19) This is one of the most comforting phrases. It tells us something about God's character. Not long after this Hannah became pregnant and she had a son and called him Samuel which means 'God hears!' or 'asked of God!' But Hannah had made a promise to God. The promise was that she would give this child back to God. She made good on her promise and did as she had undertaken to do.

1 Samuel 1:28 So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD.

Ultimately what God gives us still belongs to Him. Also remember there is the aspect of God's timing!

1 Samuel 1:20 So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, "Because I asked the LORD for him."

Remember to do what you have undertaken to do. The Lord will remember you!

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DESPERATE PEOPLE
But then something seems to change. It seemed like Elkanah and his family made regular trips to the temple. But on this particular trip, Hannah reaches a level where she becomes desperate. No longer does she care who sees her or what she looks like. Her desperate circumstances move her to a place of desperation. In her desperation she cries out to God. It was such a dramatic change that even the priest thought she was drunk. Her desperation was visible.   Hannah was praying so intently that her lips moved silently with the words she spoke to God in her heart. Eli the priest saw her and accused her of being drunk. She answered that she was praying, pouring out her soul to the Lord. She told Eli that she was deeply distressed and was praying to the Lord. Many people find themselves in this this kind of situation today. They are desperate within themselves. Often their desperation is written all over their faces, it has become visible. Perhaps you are in such a situation today?

DESPERATE CIRCUMSTANCES AND DESPERATE PEOPLE
When desperate circumstances and desperate people come into alignment, something happens. We can have desperate circumstances and not be desperate ourselves, and things don't seem to change. We can be desperate but our circumstances are not desperate, and things don't seem to change. But when we have desperate circumstances and corresponding desperate people, things change. I knew a man who was a farmer close to the area where we lived. He was a very effective farmer and his land and produce was of the highest standard. He worked very hard for many hours a day and was considered successful. One day he developed a pain in his groin. But he was too busy to have it attended to. The pain grew worse and worse and eventually he began to limp severely to be able to walk. Still he did not attend to his health. His family pleaded with him to have it attended to. His clients implored him to go and see the Doctor. His friends tried to put pressure on him, but he would have none of it. Eventually he become too sick to work and died shortly thereafter. You see, his circumstances were desperate, but he himself was not and it eventually cost him his life. On the other hand, I remember, some years ago becoming desperate myself. I married later in life and wanted to start a family. After nine months my wife was still not pregnant. We decided to go and see the Doctor. I remember saying to the Doctor: 'There must be something wrong - my wife is not pregnant'. The Doctor asked me how long had we been battling to conceive? I replied that it was nine months. I could see the shock on our Doctor's face. She responded and said to me that some people wait 9 years and that 9 months was not time when it comes to these matters. She brought me back to earth with a bump. You see, I was desperate, but my circumstances were not. Just over a year later our daughter was born. There was no need for me to have allowed myself to have become so desperate.

But when these two dimensions come together things can begin to happen.

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The story of Hannah and the birth of Samuel remains one of the most remarkable stories in the Bible. How a barren woman could call on God and in the process one of the greatest characters in the Old Testament is born. Samuel grew up to become the last of Israel's judges, he became Israel first prophet, and he became the advisor to the first two kings, Saul and David. Samuel was a man who had favour with God and with men. He was considered a hero of the faith and his name is recorded in Hebrews 11:32 in the 'Faith Hall Of Fame'. It was said of Samuel as he grew up, that the LORD was with him and didn't let any of his words go unfulfilled. (1 Samuel 3:19).The story was recorded well over 3000 years ago, but its lessons still hold true today.

SCRIPTURE READING: 1 Samuel 1:1 to 1 Samuel 2:11

DESPERATE CIRCUMSTANCES
Hannah was a married woman who had no children and was unable to have children. She was married to a man by the name of Elkanah and she was one of two wives. The other wife seemed to be very fruitful and had several children. Hannah had none. In that time a large family was seen as a sign of a blessing and the lack thereof was seen as a curse. Hannah had to endure ongoing humiliation and shame. To make matters worse, the other wife constantly harassed and taunted her. She had desperate circumstances and there appeared to be no hope and no end in sight. She really had a raw deal. Her name, Hannah, meant 'woman of grace' or 'gracious woman'. But it must have been very difficult to be what her name meant when she was surrounded by such desperate, on-going circumstances and issues. We know that she often cried and wept and that she would not eat because of all that was going on. Many people find themselves in similar situations today. They are surrounded by difficult circumstances, often they are issues that are beyond their control. Perhaps you are in such a situation today?

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In life, we may forget God, but the reverse is never true. We should make that quality decision not to forget Him.

Deuteronomy 8:11'Beware that in your plenty you don't forget the Lord your God and begin to disobey Him.'

Verse 19 'But if you forget about the Lord your God and worship other gods instead, and follow evil ways, you shall certainly perish.'

Forgetting God leads to death.

Job 8:11'Those who forget God have no hope.'

Forgetting God leads to hopelessness.

Ecclesiastes 12:1'Don't let the excitement of being young cause you to forget about your Creator.'

Perhaps you have forgotten God in all the activities and busyness of life. Now is the time to remember and determine never to forget God.

A LIVING REALITY
God wants the fact that He will not forget you to become a living reality in your life. He does not just want to be someone in the Book. He never forgot the people of faith throughout history.

Genesis 8:1 'God didn't forget about Noah and all the animals in the boat! He sent a wind to blow across the waters, and the floods began to disappear.'

And He will not forget you, NO, never!

Isaiah 44:21'I made you, and I will not forget to help you.'

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HIS PRESENCE CAN BRING BREAKTHROUGH BEYOND WHAT IS HUMANLY POSSIBLE.

These men were professional and experienced fisherman.  If anyone could have brought success to fishing it would have been them. Professionals can usually bring the greatest opportunity for success. It is for this reason that when we need help in any area, we will usually seek out the help of a professional. If we are sick we will look for a Doctor, if we are in trouble we will look for a Lawyer, if we need advice we will seek a trained counselor. But human wisdom and human expertise can only take us so far. Sometimes even with a Doctor, or a Lawyer or a Counselor we don't find what we are looking for. It is then that we need to look to the Great Physician, The Advocate and the Wonderful Counselor for the breakthrough we long for. I have seen the presence of God at work in people's lives and produce results that years of counselling have not been able to achieve. I have seen the presence of God touch the lives of people and the legal challenges that they have faced have suddenly been resolved. I have seen the presence of God come into people's lives and they choose to forgive and their health issues get resolved.

GOD CAN FILL YOUR EMPTY NETS.

God can take the very same nets that came up empty under our own initiative and fill them when we are operating under His instruction and in His presence. God can take what is empty and fill it up to overflowing. This may appear to be just a side story when seen in conjunction with the big picture of Jesus and the difference His presence made in this situation. But may we never lose site of the wonderful fact that because of Jesus these empty nets were filled. There is nothing worse for a fisherman than empty nets! Recently my brother went fishing with his son. They fished for 4 hours and caught nothing, not even a nibble or a bite. When he got home he called me and told me what an utter waste of time it had been. I reminded him that at least he got to spend that time with his son, doing something that his son loves to do. Perhaps there is an 'empty net' in your life? Something that you had really hoped would work, something that you put great effort and energy into and yet it never brought the reward you had hoped or seen others achieve with much less effort? Remember it is the Lord who fills the empty nets, if we will call on Him and follow His instructions. Give Him your 'empty nets' today!

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NEVER IS A LONG TIME
Never is an exceedingly long time. Never is not only for your lifetime. Our time reference in life is our lifetimes. For some people it is about 70 or maybe 80 years. That is the length of the concept of 'never' for us humans. But 'never' to God is eternal, it has no end. Even beyond your physical lifetime, God will not forget you.

Isaiah 49:14-16Yet they say, 'My Lord deserted us; He has forgotten us.' 'Never! I will not forget you.'

If God will not forget us through all eternity, why will He forget us during this short earthly experience?

HE WILL NOT FORGET US BECAUSE HE LOVES US
It is because of the fact that the Lord loves us dearly that He will not forget us.

Deuteronomy 4:31'For the Lord your God is merciful - He will not abandon you nor destroy you nor forget the promises He has made to your ancestors.'

God intends to remember us and come through for us. He is a merciful loving God.

John 3:16'For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son so that anyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.'

God loves us and that is why He made a way for us to connect to Him through Jesus Christ. I am here to tell you that God loves you and He has NOT forgotten you, AT ALL.

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WE ARE IMPORTANT TO GOD
It is because you are important to God that He will not forget you. Don't underestimate your value to God.

Luke 12:6'What is the price of five sparrows? A couple of pennies? Not much more than that. Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And He knows the number of hairs on your head! Never fear, you are far more valuable to Him than a whole flock of sparrows.'

Let me remind you today that you are valuable and important to God. No one is insignificant enough to be forgotten by God. NO, NO, NO and NO!

HE WILL NOT FORGET US
Even when everyone else forgets you, He will not. Even when you feel totally alone and lonely, He is with you. Even if all your friends and family desert you, He remains true. God will not do what humans do, He will not forget you.

Isaiah 49:14-16Yet they say, 'My Lord deserted us; He has forgotten us.' 'Never! Can a mother forget her little child and not have love for her own son? Yet even if that should be, I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed your name upon My palm.'

Just think about the fact that your name may be written on His hand. How marvelous and how wonderful is this thought. Write it down, stick it up, do something, BUT never forget that God will never forget you.

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You and I are important to God. Because of the fact that we are important to Him, He has no intention of forgetting about us. God has NOT forgotten about you. No matter what you feel, think or believe, God has NOT forgotten you. God tells us in His Word that He will NEVER forget about us. There are so many great confirmations regarding this wonderful fact. The fact is that God will not forget you. May this become a living reality to you today. May you live in the knowledge of the fact that God is thinking about you and will never forget you.

WE HAVE THIS ASSURANCE
We have God's Word as our assurance that He will not forget us. This is why we can be confident and have hope in our hearts. Look at the assurance that God gives us.

Hosea 9:9'The Lord does not forget.'

Let me remind you that God has not and will not forget about you. You can rest in this sure fact.

GOD NEVER FORGETS US
Not only will God not forget us, but also the Bible tells us that He constantly thinks about us. God is thinking about you constantly.

Psalm 40:17 'I am poor and weak, yet the Lord is thinking about me right now!'

Look at this wonderful promise.

Isaiah 49:14-16 Yet they say, 'My Lord deserted us; He has forgotten us.' 'Never! Can a mother forget her little child and not have love for her own son? Yet even if that should be, I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed your name upon My palm.'

You are special and valuable to God. He constantly thinks about you and has no intention of forgetting you!

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We can ‘yield’ ourselves to many things. This may be things that honour God, but also they may be things that do not. We have to keep a check on our lives. In the older Bible translations the word yield is used but in newer versions the word yield is replaced with the word offer. In my mind they do not carry the same weight because yielding speaks of surrender and offering speaks of a suggestion. So I have taken the newer translation and I have included the word yield so that we can see the difference.

Romans 6:13 Do not offer (yield) any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer (yield) yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer (yield) every part of yourself to Him as an instrument of righteousness.

Yielding ourselves to God is what we are called to do. We should not give any aspect of our lives to sin and no aspect of the way we live our lives should ever be seen as an instrument of wickedness. Instead we should give ourselves to God as if our lives depend on it and in everything we do our lives should be seen as an instrument of righteousness. This should change the way we live our lives. And it should be something we constantly strive for and something we pursue regularly. Please notice that it says ‘every part of yourself’ should be yielded in this way.

HOW DO WE ACTUALLY YIELD OURSELVES TO GOD?
I have led people in worship for many years. I have seen that some people seem to enter in and give themselves to God with such ease, while others find it difficult. But over the years I have learnt that it is not that difficult. It just takes a little time and the conscious presenting, offering and yielding ourselves to God. This scripture indicates that we should yield, offer and surrender ourselves to God and offer and yield every part of our lives to Him. I believe that it is something we can do every day. I believe it is something we can do when a moment in time presents an opportunity to do just this. I believe we can do it right now. Here are some simple steps: I often like to close my eyes so that things do not distract me and often I will lift my hands as a sign of surrender.

1. Take a moment to be still and quiet. The Bible tells us to ‘Be still, and know that I am God!’ (Psalm 46:10)
2. Confess any wrong in your life that you are aware of. The Bibles tells us that: ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ (1 John 1:9)
3. Consciously yield yourself to God. Give Him every area of your life. Give Him every talent and ability and give Him your very body. For the Bible says: ‘Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.’ (Romans 12:1) Spend a moment doing just this. Don’t rush it.
4. Begin to receive from God. The Bible tells us: ‘No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.’ (Psalm 84:11)
5. Thank Him for what He is doing in your heart and life right now.

If we will just do this, God will respond and come and touch our lives and reveal more of Himself to us. You have nothing to lose. Step out and discover the joy of yielding to Him. It is always worth it!

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The word ‘yield’ is not a modern word, nor is it a word we hear every day. But it is a word that can help us as we pursue a closer more intimate relationship with God. We started off and looked at how yielding means surrendering our lives to God. The word yield is a verb, it is something we do. It includes: to bring, to present, to surrender, to give right of way, to give as fitting or rightfully owed, or required and to submit. Perhaps if we look at the opposite we can grasp this concept a little easier. The opposite of yield is to resist, reject and to hold off! It can even go further to include stubbornness and what the Bible calls ‘stiff-necked’. So we don’t want to resist or reject God. We certainly do not want to hold off on God. But we want to embrace and give to Him what belongs to Him, our hearts and our lives. We want to give Him right of way in our lives.

RIGHT OF WAY
In a modern context the word yield is used in traffic signs. We all know what a yield sign is. When we see a yield sign we usually back off and give priority to another person. If we can see this picture in our minds it will help us give God the right of way that He deserves in our lives. A right of way is a legal right of passage over another person's property. We have the right of way over our lives, it is what we call freewill. But when we give our hearts and lives to God and receive Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, we give up that right and we give God the right of way in our lives. But as we apply this to our daily lives we often revert back and take back this right of way to some degree or another. It is for this reason that we need to on an on-going basis yield ourselves to God and in the process honoring the right of way we have already given Him. It is a joy and a delight to do this.

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In our relationship with God there is a wonderful aspect in which we can yield ourselves to Him. It’s not always something people readily understand. Our lives can be so busy and consuming that we never learn the art of yielding ourselves to God or we just don’t include it in our daily Christian lives. I remember learning about this in a church that I was involved in. We were taught how to yield ourselves to God and we were actively encouraged to pursue it as part of our Christian walk. As a result many of the people in our church enjoyed a deeper relationship with God and it was an enriching experience. You can also discover the joy of yielding your life to God, not just once, but on a regular and preferably on a daily basis.

IT STARTS AS WE SURRENDER OUR LIVES TO GOD
When we become children of God and give our lives to Him, this is where the whole process starts. You see HE knocks at the door of our hearts and if we will open up and yield our lives to Him, He will come and live within us and everything changes. This is what is called being Born Again. God becomes the Lord of our lives and we surrender our lives and future into His hands. But this is only the start. From this point on we have a relationship with God and we can discover the joy of yielding our lives to Him each and every day. It becomes a voyage of discovery as we develop our relationship with our living Saviour and Lord, Jesus. Our spiritual lives can become more than a one-off experience as we develop and grow in our relationship.

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SIX THINGS THAT GOD WANTS TO DO FOR YOU - BEYOND EXPECTATION!
(Point 6)

6. GOD WANTS TO RESTORE YOU TO YOUR HIGH PLACE

Isaiah 58:14 ‘and I will make you to ride on the high places of the earth, and I will feed you with the heritage [promised for you] of Jacob your father; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.’

Riding on the high places speaks of dominion and authority. Many people have been brought low, by all that has happened in life. This speaks of great security (riding the high places), but it also speaks of great dignity and advancement. God wants to restore your dignity, your dominion, your security and your sense of forward movement and advancement. We all feel like we have lost ground from time to time. We may even know that we are not where we were or where we are meant to be, but God is the great restorer. God wants to restore you to your high place. This is beyond expectation. Don’t settle for less. Don’t just accept things as they are. Believe in God and the things He has prepared for you.

CONCLUSION

Ephesians 3:20 Now to (unto) Him Who, is able to do superabundantly, far over and above all that we dare ask or think, infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams.

God is able to do these things. He has what it takes to make it possible. The word expectation comes from a root word which means to look forward with anticipation. It can be compared to the concept of ‘being pregnant’. This is how we should live when it comes to God. We should live lives that are full of expectation. You may ask the question: ‘On what basis can I be expectant?’ On the basis that God is able to do superabundantly, far over and above all that we dare ask or think.

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SIX THINGS THAT GOD WANTS TO DO FOR YOU - BEYOND EXPECTATION!
(Point 4 and 5)

4. GOD WANTS YOU TO FLOURISH

Isaiah 58:11‘You shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.’ 

The Living Bible says: ‘Like a well-watered garden!’ What picture do you see when I say the words: ‘A well-watered garden’? If you look at your life today, would you describe it using those words? That is what God desires for you and for me. There is even more! God wants us to be like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. The benefit of a spring is not something the spring enjoys. The real advantage is for those downstream of the spring. What this tells me is that God wants to cause you to be a blessing to those around you. He wants to make you able to provide life giving water to others. Like an ever-flowing spring. WOW! That’s beyond expectation!

5. GOD WANTS TO REBUILD YOU

Isaiah 58:12’And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt’

What are ruins? Ruins are a total disintegration or collapse of something; the remains of something that has been destroyed. Is there an aspect of your life that fits this definition? This speaks of renewing and repairing what has been lost, broken and destroyed. That area of your life that you think can never be restored or recovered – God wants to rebuild! God wants to use you in this process. Have you ever thought of yourself as ‘the repairer of the breach’ or ‘the restorer of streets to dwell in’? Perhaps God will even use YOU in the rebuilding/restoring process! It also speaks of ancient ruins. This speaks to me of damage done long ago. Perhaps it is something long forgotten or something you have tried to even forget. It could include something you have written off. God wants to rebuild your ancient ruins. He wants to make something beautiful out of the ruins of the past.

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SIX THINGS THAT GOD WANTS TO DO FOR YOU - BEYOND EXPECTATION!
(Point 2 and 3)

2. GOD WANTS TO SATISFY YOU

Isaiah 58:11 The LORD will satisfy your soul in drought. 

Not only does God want to guide us continually, He also wants to satisfy us. The word ‘satisfy’ is usually used in association with food. When we eat we are filled up and satisfied. Hunger is one of the basic human needs and something people will go to great lengths to satisfy. When we are satisfied, the feelings of hunger and lack are settled. Perhaps you feel that in some areas of your life you are unfulfilled, incomplete or lacking. God wants to meet you at your point of need and satisfy that need or longing. Another version of this scripture says as follows: ‘the Lord shall satisfy you in drought and in dry places’. If there is an area of your life that is dry and barren, He wants to come and satisfy it. Those problematic areas, God wants to address and meet the need. 

3. GOD WANTS TO STRENGTHEN YOU

Isaiah 58:11‘And strengthen your bones!’

God’s strength is available to you today. Our bones are on the inside and He wants to strengthen us from the inside out. Have you ever heard the phrase: ‘I feel tired to the bone’? Sometimes we can feel so weak that even our bones feel week. Today, God wants to come and strengthen you. Receive His strength now.  Strengthened is to be enabled, empowered and strong, firm and established. 

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Where is your expectation? Are you living with expectation? Have you lost your expectation? We need to live lives that are full of expectation. Look what the Word of God tells us:

Ephesians 3:20Now to Him Who, is able to do superabundantly, far over and above all that we dare ask or think, infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams.

When God blesses, even a little, it will go a great way, even beyond expectation! This scripture is the definition of the term: ‘Beyond Expectation!’ BEYOND EXPECTATION: able to do superabundantly, far over and above all that we dare ask or think, infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams. Have you lost your expectation? Let’s trust that today God will restore your sense of expectation.

SCRIPTURE READING:Isaiah 58:11-12 +14

SIX THINGS THAT GOD WANTS TO DO FOR YOU - BEYOND EXPECTATION!
(Point 1)

GOD WANTS TO GUIDE YOU

Isaiah 58:11The LORD will guide you continually!

I have never known a time in history, during which we need God’s guidance more than now. It is a critical time frame/period. To guide means to lead you. One definition says: ‘Lead you on your way’. God wants to be like a conductor or a guide. Showing you where to go, pointing you in the right direction. This guiding aspect is not just momentary. It is on-going! The promise is that God will guide us CONTINUALLY! Continually means always and regularly. The original word means ‘regularly without interruption’.  Hense the interpretation ALWAYS.

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We need to see God as a God of goodness and love. Some versions of the Bible speak of His loving-kindness. His loving-kindness is ALWAYS available to you.

Psalm 23:6 'Surely Your goodness & love will follow me all the days of my life.'

Can you see this picture in your mind's eye of His goodness and love following you each and every day for all of your lifetime? Begin to picture it, begin to see it and begin to believe that it is His very nature and character towards you.

OUR ETERNAL HOME
He is your eternal home. He provides the eternal guarantee for you. As His child you can know that your eternal destination is secure and assured.

2 Corinthians 5:1 'For we know that if this poor tent, our earthly house, is taken down, we have in Heaven a building which God has provided, a house not built by human hands, but eternal.'

He wants to provide your eternal home for you. You can look forward to an eternity with God. There is something in the very makeup of humans that need an answer to this eternal question and it comes out of a sense of knowing that we are eternal spiritual beings. And He provides for this deep-seated need for clarity and reassurance.

Psalm 23: 6 '..... and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.'

He is your great provider. All you have needed, His hand has provided.

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How often in life we need a deliverer. How often we seem to get to that place where nothing short of a deliverer can make a difference and change the situation we find ourselves in. How often we get to that point where we realise that only divine intervention can rescue and free us from the challenge in front of us. He is your deliverer.

2 Kings 13:5 'The LORD provided a deliverer for Israel, and they escaped from the power of Aram. So the Israelites lived in their own homes as they had before.'

He wants to be your deliverer and He wants to make sure you escape the power of those things that would like to see you destroyed. If only a deliverer can solve your dilemma, He will be that for you.

STRENGTH
He is the source of all the strength you need at every stage and season of life.

Isaiah 58:11 The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.

He is the restorer of your strength. When our strength runs low, we have a source of strength that will undergird and sustain us in every way. Receive His strength today, receive His strength right now.

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He is the source of all the compassion and mercy you long for. Somewhere within our human frame is that hope that we will receive compassion. We know that we make mistakes and don't always have the right attitude and secretly we hope we will receive or be extended compassion. HE comes and gives us this unlimited compassion.

Psalm 119:156 Your compassion, LORD, is great ....

2 Corinthians 1:3 'Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassions, and God of all encouragement ....'

Lamentations 3:22 It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.

His compassion for you is great. He is the source of the compassion you long for. His compassion will not in any way fail you.

OUR DAILY BREAD
He is not ignorant of our daily, practical needs. He sees and He knows and He provides.

Luke 11:3 Give us each day our daily bread.

Expect Him to be your source. Go to where His provision is.

Ruth 1:6 'When Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of His people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there.'

God came to the aid of His people by providing them with exactly what they needed. His help is practical and relevant to our needs.

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The Word of God tells us that the Lord is Jehovah-Jireh, our provider. This name, Jehovah-Jireh, was the name given by Abraham to the place where he had sacrificed a ram provided by God, instead of his son. The meaning of this name has two dimensions:

A. Firstly, the Lord sees.
He knows exactly what you are going through. He sees every struggle and every fear.
He is the all-seeing God and He is not ignorant of your situation and dilemma. The Lord sees and provides for the necessities of His children.

B. Secondly, He wants to reveal Himself to you by answering your prayers and supplying your needs.
His 'seeing' of our needs does not stop there it moves from seeing to intervening.

WHAT DO WE NEED THAT HE WANTS TO PROVIDE?

A CONSTANT IN AN EVER CHANGING WORLD
We live a life that is characterised by constant change on every front. In fact we are challenged by change in every sphere and every dimension. Yet there is a longing within us for that which is sure and unchanging. HE comes and brings this assurance and eternal stability into our daily lives.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

While everything around us is shifting and changing, He comes to provide and bring us that knowledge of the fact that He is our eternal constant.

James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Let Him be your constant in an ever changing world.

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The Lord is a faithful God. He is your keeper and the One who comes alongside to provide all that is needed. He sees your need and His plan is to step in and provide for that need. There is old hymn that catches this precious characteristic about God.

"Great is Thy faithfulness!" "Great is Thy faithfulness!"
  Morning by morning new mercies I see;
  All I have needed Thy hand hath provided -
  "Great is Thy faithfulness," Lord, unto me!

May you also discover that from His hand you can receive all that is needed. His hand is open to give all that is needed, regardless if it is daily needs or long-term needs or eternal needs. He is YOUR provider.

THE LORD WILL PROVIDE
He truly is the great provider. In the Old Testament there is a story about a man named Abraham who was sent by the Lord to sacrifice his only son. It was a great test for this man. But right at the end when he had passed the test, God miraculously stepped into the scene and provided for the sacrifice and his son was spared. As the son walked with his father to the place of sacrifice, the son noticed that they had nothing to sacrifice and asked his father where the sacrifice was, not realising that he was the sacrifice .....

Genesis 22:8 Abraham answered, "God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together.

Once Abraham had passed the test and God had seen that HE was in fact first in Abraham's life, He stepped in and provided a sacrifice and the son was spared.

Genesis 22:14 So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."

I am here today to remind and tell you that God will also provide for you.

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His Promises 

1 Kings 8:56 'Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel just as He promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises He gave through His servant Moses.'

Sure Foundation 

Isaiah 28:16 '....see I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed.'

Acceptance 

John 6:37 'All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never drive away.'

His Love 

Romans 8:38-39 '....Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.'

Eternal Life 

2 Corinthians 5:1 'Now we know that if this earthly tent (body) we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.'

Hope 

Hebrews 6:19 'We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure...'

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MANY OF THE THINGS WE PUT OUR TRUST IN ARE UNCERTAIN

Beauty, Health and Physical Strength 

Proverbs 31:30 'Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting...'

Other People - 

Psalm 146:3 'Do not put your trust in princes or in mortal men, who cannot save.'

Wealth and Money 

Proverbs 23:5 'Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they shall surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.'

Tomorrow 

Proverbs 27:1 'Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day will bring forth.' (Tomorrow's another day).

Life 

James 4:14 '...you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.'

Fame and Glory 

1 Peter 1:24 'All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall...'

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Genesis 19:27 '...he had stood in the LORD's presence.'

We see how Abraham stood in the presence of the Lord. He hurried out to the place where he HAD stood in the Lord's presence before. Enjoying the presence of God in his life was something that was a reality to him. He had been to this spot before and had experienced and stood in the presence of the Lord and in all likelihood he knew that he would experience it again. If we will take the time to make room for the Lord in our lives or to make more room for Him in our lives, then we can expect and believe that His presence will be an ever-increasing reality in our lives. Sometimes we just need to know that we are in His presence and then just stand there and soak it up. It does not say that he prayed there in the Lord's presence, it does not say that he did a lot of speaking or asking, I have no doubt that He did those things, but there comes a time when we can just know that His presence is there and that is all we need. I have known the joy of being aware that I am in the presence of God and that He is with me. Often these moments of awareness of His presence have been at some of the challenging times in my life. I have had times when I have nothing left to say, nothing left to pray, and all I could do was stand in His presence until the storm passed by. So let us expect to experience more of His presence in our lives.

LOOK, BECOME AWARE OF WHAT THE LORD IS DOING.

Genesis 19:27-28 'Abraham...looked...'

Sometimes we are so busy, so consumed with the issues and concerns of life that we are hardly aware of what the Lord is doing. When Abraham got to that familiar place where he had enjoyed the presence of God, he paused and looked out and became aware of what God was doing. It's so important that we begin to see things from the Lord's perspective. Sometimes we don't see things because we don't look, or perhaps we don't become aware that God is doing or saying something to us in our hearts or in our spirits.

1 Kings 19:11-12Then the LORD said, 'Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD. Behold, the LORD is about to pass by.' And a great and mighty wind tore into the mountains and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a still, small voice.

We have to become still so that we can hear the still, small voice. All the other noise and clutter has to be removed so that we can hear that still small voice of the Lord speaking into our lives. It takes a few moments, during which the noise and distractions of life can die down, and in that moment we can begin to hear and perhaps grasp and see what the Lord is saying and/or doing. Let us make time for God in our lives. He will come and make His presence real to us and He will strengthen, comfort and lead us as we trust in His power and providence.

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Genesis 19:27 'Abraham... hurried out to the place...'

We need to find a place where we can spend time with the Lord. It may be that you have an awesome spot to spend time with God, but it can also be a regular spot you find yourself in. Often when I open my curtains in the morning and the light floods my room, then I can look out and see the beauty of God in nature and I can enjoy the moment of thankfulness in His presence. It could be a few moments in bed as you pick up your phone and read a scripture and say a short prayer. It could be that place in front of your computer before that rush of the day starts that you may read the Daily Thought that we send out via email and take a moment to pray the prayer. (If you don't receive these and would like to, just send me an email to andrew@alivetogod.com and I will send it to you.) Then we must make that moment in that place a daily priority. This was a priority for Abraham - it says he hurried out to the place. You can almost feel the urgency and the importance of being there. He was not dragging his feet, in fact he was in all likelihood running to get there. Find that place and hurry to get there each day.

MAKE ROOM FOR THE LORD IN YOUR LIFE.

Genesis 19:27'...the place where he had stood in the LORD's presence.'

This was not the first time that Abraham had met with God in that same place. I am sure that it was part of his daily routine to meet with and interact with the Lord at this spot. It was a place that he was familiar with - he had been there before. It was his routine to make room for these moments with the Lord. It is interesting to note that it was a place where he could just stand in God's presence. It was not only a place where he prayed, pleaded and negotiated with God, but it was also a time and a place where he would become aware of God's presence. When I was a child we were part of a church that always put on a Christmas pageant. Every year we would celebrate this special time of the year with a dramatised presentation of the nativity story. I was always a shepherd, and it didn't demand much. I could just stand there, with the other shepherds, in my outfit and with my staff (a long stick that is carried). The scene just before I would make my appearance around the manger, was always a stirring moment for me. The choir would sing the song 'NO ROOM'. It was a Christmas song about how Joseph and a pregnant Mary arrived in Bethlehem to find that there was no room available for them in the Inn. They ended up in a stable with a manger (cattle feeding trough) as their home for this most wonderful night for all humanity. I was always amazed that no one could make room for the Saviour and the song focused on the fact that we need to make room for the Lord in our hearts and lives. I want to encourage you to 'make room' for the Lord in your daily life. Let it be a part of your routine and a priority to spend a few sacred moments with your Heavenly Father.

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SCRIPTURE READING:

Genesis 19:27-28'Abraham got up early that morning and hurried out to the place where he had stood in the LORD's presence. He looked...'

MAKE A QUALITY DECISION TO PURSUE GOD.

Genesis 19:27 'Abraham got up...'

Making a quality decision and acting on it, is the first step in the process of change in our lives. I once heard the following quote: 'The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.' If we want an ongoing, personal relationship with the Lord, it calls for decisive action on our part. If we think that we can continue doing life as we have always done life and yet hope that something wonderful will just spontaneously develop in our relationship with the Lord, we may well discover that it does not happen. But if we will step out and make the change and pursue God as if our lives depended on it, I believe that things will change and we will see the wonder of our connection with God growing and becoming more and more of a daily living reality. Abraham didn't just sit back and wait for heaven to come down, He GOT UP, and he made time for the Lord and He pursued his relationship with God. The challenge for each one of us is to GET UP and GO FOR IT!

MAKE A TIME TO CONNECT WITH THE LORD.

Genesis 19:27'Abraham got up early that morning...'

I have always found that the early mornings are times when I can spend a few moments with the Lord. For me, the nighttime is not my best time and I'm prone to falling asleep. I naturally wake up early, so getting up and focusing on God comes naturally to me at that time. It starts as I wake up and thoughts and cares begin to fill my mind. Right there, I begin to focus on the Lord. I will start by saying Good Morning my Heavenly Father, Good Morning to my wonderful Saviour, the Lord, Jesus Christ and Good Morning to the precious Holy Spirit, my Comforter and the One Who walks with me. I thank the Lord for His faithfulness and His mercies that are new every morning. I declare my trust and dependency on God, and I ask for His protection and provision for the day that lies ahead of me and my family. Here is a beautiful prayer that you could pray as you start your time with the Lord:

I take God the Father to be my God;
I take God the Son to be my Saviour;
I take God the Holy Ghost to be my Sanctifier;
I take the Word of God to be my rule;
I take the people of God to be my people;
And I do hereby dedicate and yield my whole self to the Lord:
And I do this deliberately, freely, and forever. Amen.

Make time to connect with the Lord - Abraham got up early, He will meet you there.

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You can be an example of someone who chooses God's way. If you are endeavoring to do this, I want to honour you. I can imagine that there are many people, who, while no one sees, are trying to follow God and are choosing His way on a daily basis. Let me remind you that God sees all things and while others may seem to get away with living just as they please, I assure you that no one gets away with anything before God. He will reward you for your faithfulness and the daily choices you have made to choose good over evil, righteousness over sin, integrity over corruption and faith over fear. You may not have always been victorious, but you have aimed towards a higher goal and God will be with you! Just as all of humanity remembers this unusual story of Noah, so too, others will see your life and be inspired to live a life of choosing God's way. Your children are watching you, your family can see what you are aiming for, and your friends and colleagues are reading the book of your life. Set an example of choosing God's way, it will be worth it in the end.

CHOOSING GOD'S WAY BRINGS SECURITY
There is something about doing what is right and following God's ways that brings a sense of security into our lives. If I was Noah and God had told me to bring two of every creature into the ark, I would be overwhelmed. God did not give Noah any strategy to achieve this impossible task. But when the time came, it happened. Perhaps it was a miracle, or perhaps after all the years of Noah obeying and following God, he reaped the fruit of all the animals following and obeying him? I don't know... but it happened. Perhaps, because Noah was under divine authority, so were the animals?

Genesis 7:16 'A male and female of each kind entered, just as God had commanded Noah. Then the LORD closed the door behind them.'

The last thing that happened was that God closed the door behind them. The door was probably the weak spot on the ark, as it is on many ships. It is the place that can allow what should be outside to come inside and jeopardise the whole thing. When we choose God's way we don't want anything that could sink our ship to get in and scuttle our progress. God, in His faithfulness, closed and sealed the door behind them and the rest was up to God. Some years ago, when my late wife had been diagnosed with cancer, we went through a very difficult season as a family. We had faithfully, over time, served the Lord and longed for His Kingdom to be expanded. Now we were facing our own flood. During that time we went away for a break between chemo sessions. While we were away it was as if every demon from hell was out to get us. If I were to tell you what we faced physically in one week, you would not believe it. We reached a very low point where we felt everything around us was collapsing. As my wife and I sat on our bed talking about all that had happened, we felt that we needed to ask the Lord to come and close the door of the ark of our lives and seal it so that nothing further could touch us. We prayed together and asked the Lord to close the door behind us. All the tormenting and struggle stopped and we were never plagued by such horrors again. In the end God took care of Noah and his family and God took care of us as a family. Although we may pass through storms, we have a joy of knowing that as we follow Him, He is with us and He will shut the door and He will open the door when His time is right and when His purposes have prevailed. I encourage you to live a life of choosing God's way.

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It would appear that Noah started making the right choices long before it became apparent as to how God would use his life. Perhaps the good decisions already started in his youth? Noah could never have imagined how things would end up, but he knew that his decisions were important and that his choices to put God first were the right thing to do. At that stage in history humanity was making bad choices and choices that would lead to their downfall, but Noah was making good choices. The scripture tells us that Noah was a righteous man who was blameless compared to others in his generation. It also tells us that he walked with God and obeyed God. These attributes were a direct result of his choices. His choices were not the majority choices of the day, in fact they were very limited, almost exclusively, to this one man, Noah. He could never have imagined how these choices, made on a daily basis, in obscurity, would one day lead to him playing a role in a global calamity. Sometimes we do not see the immediate benefits of choosing God's way. Sometimes it is only time that will reveal the results because we do not have the benefit of seeing the end from the beginning. And so, when we decide to choose God's way above our personal way or preference, it requires faith. We make the choice and follow the path and the future and the end result is in the hands of our faithful God.

CHOOSING GOD'S WAY INVOLVES WAITING
It is seldom that we choose God's way and see immediate or instant results. It is not like a recipe or a formula that yields instant outcomes. Noah chooses God's way over time and over time it says that Noah found favour in the eyes of the Lord. It is almost as if God is closely watching us as we follow Him and make the right choices, even when it is not comfortable or expedient. But there comes a time when this life that we have chosen begins to bear fruit and God uses this obedience in ways we could not have imagined. Most times the end result comes through the test of time, and waiting, while we faithfully follow God. Even after God had told Noah to build the ark it took over 100 years before the rain came. This is plenty of time to doubt or second guess yourself. The waiting can be very hard to endure. We may wish that we could just rush out and get the job done or take the ground we think we should. Our focus should not be set on what can be achieved in the short term but rather on what God will do in His time. We are here for the long-haul not the 100-yard dash.

In the Old Testament there is a story about a man named Noah. It is a remarkable story of a good man who walked with God and did what God told him to do. The end result was that God used him in a remarkable way to save humanity. The account of Noah and the flood are recorded in Genesis, chapters 6 to 8. There were certain things about Noah that made him unique.
Genesis 6:8'Noah found favour in the eyes of the LORD.'
Genesis 6:9'Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation.'
Genesis 6:9'Noah walked with God.'
Genesis 6:22'Noah did everything precisely as God had commanded him.'
Genesis 7:5'Noah did all that the LORD had commanded him.'
Genesis 7:16'A male and female of each kind entered, just as God had commanded Noah. Then the LORD closed the door behind them.'
Genesis 8:1'God remembered Noah!'

CHOOSING OUR WAY OR GOD'S WAY
Life is full of choices. Every day, as we take on the joy and challenges of life, we are confronted with many decisions and choices. According to research it is estimated that the average adult makes many thousands of decisions or choices per day, perhaps as much as 35000 per day. Some research has established that we make hundreds of decisions regarding food alone. Almost every second of our lives there is a demand to decide or choose. Is it any wonder that we are the result of our choices and decisions. Our choices can make or break us. This means that there is something very important or even sacred about our choices. Good choices can lead to success and blessing and bad choices can rob us and bring regret and sorrow. Years ago, there was a famous singer who sang a popular song entitled: 'I did it my way!' 'MY WAY' seems to be the preferred option these days, but I believe there is a higher way and that is 'HIS WAY!' Choosing God's way, as our default option, will lead to many blessings, in particular the blessing of being used by God and being part of something meaningful with our lives. In the life of Noah, we can see such an illustration.

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Sometimes we go through things, or we face things that we feel we do not deserve or that God has no knowledge of the magnitude of the struggle we are facing. Perhaps the reason the children of God, in this story from Exodus, reacted so to the situation of the bitter water was the fact that they thought God did not know or foresee that they would encounter or experience this? You see, if you go and read verse 22, the people of Israel had moved from the Red Sea into the wilderness, and it was a 3-day journey without water. In the area where I live, we experience water outages periodically and it amazes me how quickly people react and turn on the anger with the municipality and the authorities. Imagine 3 days in a wilderness, without water, it's enough to bring out the worst in anyone. The question is, is the Lord aware of the situation? You may feel like your situation is so difficult or has been going on for such a long time that you think He does not know what you are facing or going through. The fact of the matter is that nothing happens without God's knowledge, and He knows all things including the small details. The struggles we face can emanate from so many sources, but He knows this, and He has allowed it to pass our way. I remember when my family and myself were going through a difficult time. We never imagined that we would ever face such challenges, but God had His hand in all of it. At times we even felt God-forsaken, but He had allowed it, as wrong as it was and as unjust as it was, to work within us and produce something in our lives. God knows exactly what you are going through. It may feel like it has been going on too long and now, just as you are understanding something clearly at last, the water is bitter. Perhaps it is that very bitter water that God is going to turn into something sweet.

WE MUST DO WHAT HE TELLS US TO DO
It is of vital importance that we ask the Lord to lead and guide us and then do, or obey, what He tells us to do. The option to ask Him for help is an option that is always available to us. The opportunity to listen to what He wants us to do is also open to us if we will be still enough to hear. The most important thing is to be ready and willing to do what He tells us to do.

Exodus 15:25'So Moses cried out to the LORD for help, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. Moses threw it into the water, and this made the water good to drink.'

How did Moses know, when he saw the piece of wood, that that was God's answer to the problem. How did he know that he should take that random piece of wood and throw it in the water? At face value it seems like a ridiculous suggestion or a useless action to take. But the Lord must have prompted or told him to take this action, and who would have known that it would be the one thing that would solve the problem and make the bitter water sweet.

HE WILL DO THE MIRACLE
Moses could not solve the problem of the bitter water. There are some problems in life that we cannot solve without God's help. We cannot do the miracle, only God can do the miracle, perform the impossible and turn the water into wine or the bitter water into sweet water. The Bible tells us that bitter and sweet water cannot flow from the same spring: James 3:11'Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water?' This is a rhetorical question because bitter and sweet cannot come from the same source. So, we can safely assume that the sweet water that became available at this oasis was not a good batch of water in the midst of the bitter water. God had done a complete miracle and transformed the water from bitter to sweet. When He does a miracle in our lives and situations, He does not intend to only bring temporary or momentary relief, but He intends to turn the situation around for our good. This miracle of bitter water turning sweet, was followed up with a promise of healing and health that would be available to those who would follow the Lord.

Exodus 15:25-26It was there at Marah that the LORD set before them the following decree as a standard to test their faithfulness to Him. He said, ''If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, obeying His commands and keeping all His decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the LORD Who heals you.''

This is blessing on blessing. This is what I like to call: 'Blessed beyond measure!' But the Lord was not finished blessing them yet!

Exodus 15:27'After leaving Marah, the Israelites travelled on to the oasis of Elim, where they found twelve springs and seventy palm trees. They camped there beside the water.'

The Lord can turn something bitter into something sweet and something sweet into something wonderful - He can do it for you! May you be 'BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE!'

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We all face challenges in the course of life. Sometimes we can think that our challenges are far greater than what others go through, but this is not the case. It is said that you never know what another person is going through until you have walked a mile in their shoes. Each challenge presents us with a unique opportunity to react or respond. Reaction may come easy to us because it is our automated, unrestrained response to something. Literally reaction means to meet one action with another action. I have discovered that two wrongs never make a right and this wrong (reaction) never undoes whatever caused it in the first place. Responding is a different approach. Responding flows out of the concept of the word responsibility. It means we pause for a moment, and we consider and deliberately think about the situation and how we should best respond. It is in these moments or these split-seconds that we can choose a better way. The nation of Israel reacted to their situation by calling it what it was, bitter. They then become angry, frustrated and demanding. In one word they became 'ugly'. Challenges are tests we need to pass. If we will pause long enough to not react, we may just discover that there is an answer, and we may be able to see God's hand in everything and see how He will work on our behalf.

THERE IS ALWAYS AN ANSWER TO THE PROBLEM
There is no problem for which there is no answer. I remember as a child my parents were friends with a man who was a scientist. I wanted to know what is the highest number a person could count to. I was convinced, as a little boy, that numbers stopped somewhere. So I asked this man because I was sure he would know the answer. He answered in a way I would not have imagined. He said that you could never reach that point, because whatever number you reached you would always be able to add one more. Sometimes we can think that we have reached the end of the road or that there are no more alternatives, options or solutions, but with God in our lives, anything can happen, even the ridiculous. Even when, from a human perspective, there seems to be no outcome, God can take that and turn it into something positive. It is for this reason that we should not write anything or anyone off, because the last word has not been spoken, and something can always be added that can change things.

Exodus 15:25'So Moses cried out to the LORD for help, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. Moses threw it into the water, and this made the water good to drink.'

Who would have thought that a random piece of useless wood could change the whole situation. With God, there is always an answer for every problem.

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The Lord can turn any situation around. In this story from the book of Exodus, the people of God had experienced great challenges and great deliverance. They had seen how the Lord rescued them from Egypt, only to find themselves caught between the sea and the approaching army. God opened the sea and made a way for them. The approaching army followed them into the sea, and they drowned when the path through the sea closed. The people of God celebrated with great rejoicing and singing, their enemy had been defeated and they were free. The Lord had turned the tables and turned their situation around. The next challenge was a small one, in the light of what they had just been through, but they failed this test, but God still came through for them and turned bitter water sweet.

THE PATH OF LIFE IS NOT ALWAYS SMOOTH
Life has its fair share of ups and downs, mountains and valleys, challenges and breakthroughs, joys and sorrows, bitter and sweet, as well as failures and victories. All these aspects make up the rich tapestry of life. Why would we need and enjoy a breakthrough if there was no challenge. It's how we choose to respond to the negatives that ultimately determines the outcome. God has a way of working things out and turning situations around.

Exodus 15:23-24When they came to the oasis of Marah, the water was too bitter to drink. So they called the place Marah (which means ''bitter''). Then the people complained and turned against Moses. ''What are we going to drink?'' they demanded.

It's interesting to note that they (the people) called the place bitter, it was the name they gave to it. This was not the way that God saw it and it was not the name that He gave to the place. When we go through difficulties, we can write off the whole situation and label it as something that it in all likelihood may not be. You might call something a disaster or a bitter pill, when God sees it as an opportunity or a possibility for a sweet outcome. In the middle of this situation the people developed a negative attitude and started complaining and demanding. I often find people responding on social media in a similar way when they see or read something they do not like, or something they feel strongly about. The challenge is not to become agitated but live in dependence on God, Who is able to turn any situation around.

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The wonderful promise of the Christian faith is the fact that we can one day be 'at home with the Lord' for eternity. We need to constantly remind ourselves of the fact that we are eternal spiritual beings having a temporary earthly experience. This world is not our home.

Hebrews 13:14 'For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.'

Everything about life is temporary and everything about eternity is eternal. The Bible tells us that we are foreigners, aliens, strangers and sojourners.

1 Peter 2:11 'Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cozy in it. Don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul.'

2 Corinthians 5:8 'Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.' NLT

This verse contains the word 'then'. When we are away from these earthly bodies, THEN, we will be at home with the Lord. This is home in the truest sense of the word. This is where we really belong. This is where eternity will not be long enough to enjoy the extraordinary feeling of quality of life and well-being. Oh the joy of spending eternity with the Lord!

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I believe that we can be 'at home' with the Lord during our earthly existence. I believe that we can know the Lord as a living reality during the 'living years'. It is often said that 'home is where the heart is'.

Matthew 6:19-21 (AMP) "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart [your wishes, your desires; that on which your life centers] will be also.

We should find our fulfillment in Him. The Bible speaks of the fact that the Lord is our Good Shepherd. When we know Him in this way, we can know what it means to be 'at home with the Lord' in this life. During our earthly existence we have the privilege and pleasure to know God in a particular way.

1 Corinthians 13:12 'Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.'

When we make peace with God while we don't fully understand and grasp things, but simply trust Him for who He is, we can know what it means to be at home with God in this life.

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2 Corinthians 5:8 'We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.'

BEING AT HOME
Being at home is the most wonderful thing. What does 'being at home' mean to you? How do you describe the feeling of 'being at home'? Here are a few suggestions:

1. A sense of security.
2. The knowledge that you are where you belong.
3. Knowing that you are accepted as you are.
4. Knowing that you are loved.
5. Knowing that you can be yourself.
6. Knowing that your wrongs are forgiven.

It is more than just where you grew up and more than just the place where you sleep. Houses get bought and sold, but a home travels with you. I remember years ago TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) had a slogan that caught my attention. The slogan was 'COME HOME TO TBN'. I still think this was one of the best concepts they ever came up with. I also remember years ago during my national service going to 'border duty' in northern Namibia for 6 months. I recall my home coming after the 6 month tour of duty and the delight and joy to be away from the 'front' and 'at home' with family and loved ones. I have discovered that some ladies are housewives and others are homemakers and there is a big difference. It is an extraordinary feeling of quality of life and well-being.

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We cannot be separated from God's love. Even when we are totally unaware of it - God is still there. His love is always reaching out to us.

Romans 8:38-39'For I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from His love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels won't, and all the powers of hell itself cannot keep God's love away. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, or where we are-high above the sky, or in the deepest ocean - nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God.'

THERE IS SOMETHING WE CAN DO
We need to develop a heart after God, seeking Him and drawing nearer to Him.

Psalm 73:28'But it is good for me to draw near to God.'

James 4:8'Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.'

Don't become too busy to spend time 'drawing near' to God. Let's avoid the pitfalls of busyness and religious activity because the Lord wants us to enjoy His living presence in our lives. Go after God, seek Him more, pursue Him more passionately and love Him more dearly.

NEARER TO GOD - THAT'S THE GOAL!
Have you ever heard someone say: 'My son/daughter is getting closer to me as they are getting older.' The truth is that the child has known the mother or the father all its life, but with time, and perhaps maturity, the relationship is developing. It is like this with us and our relationship with the Lord. We live with the knowledge that God is with us, BUT there is another dimension altogether, a closer and an even more real relationship. We are speaking here of the experience of His presence in our lives. It is getting to know God more intimately and with a deeper understanding and it is at this point that the barriers start disappearing. A closer relationship between ourselves and the Lord can be developed and pursued within our hearts. This is what God has in store for each one of us. This should be our goal and intention!

Prayer: Lord, I desire to have a closer relationship with You. I recognise that You are with me and that I will not be separated from Your love for me. I choose to draw near to You with the confident expectation that You will draw near to me. May my relationship with You grow and develop to a new level. May I experience and enjoy more of Your wonderful presence in my daily life. Amen.

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God wants us to seek Him and enjoy His presence in our daily lives. He wants us to reach out for Him and to find Him, because He is not far away.

Acts 17:27'God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.'

Acts 17:28'For in Him we live and move and have our being.'

Our Source of life is God Himself. God wants this to become an even greater reality in our lives.

GOD WILL NEVER LEAVE US
This is a reassuring fact!

Deuteronomy 31:6 'The LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.'

Deuteronomy 31:8'The LORD Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.'

John 14:15'If you love Me, obey Me; and I will ask the Father and He will give you another Comforter, and He will never leave you.'

This encourages me - a lot! This reassuring fact remains the truth for you and me.

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It is great to know that we can never be removed from the Lord. Right now, He is right here with us. Wherever you are, God is there with you. There is no place, situation, or circumstances where God is not present. God wants to be real to each one of us. This needs to become a living reality in our lives.

ADAM TRIED THE IMPOSSIBLE
Adam and Eve were living in the garden of Eden, enjoying the presence of God. Then they sinned and their immediate reaction was to try and hide from God. They frantically tried to do the impossible, they tried to hide from God and His presence. God's presence is everywhere, and we cannot run away from Him, or try to live as though He does not exist. Sin makes us want to escape God's presence, but even sin does not change the fact that God is there.

DAVID UNDERSTOOD THIS REALITY

Psalm 139:7-12Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, ''Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,'' even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You.

Great heights and great depths cannot separate us from God. Distance cannot separate us from God. Living in a foreign country cannot separate us from God. Darkness cannot separate us from God. God wants to be there for us.

Psalm 139:13-16'For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your Book before one of them came to be.'

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JESUS SHOWS US HIS HUMAN SIDE
John 19:28Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”

Prophetic fulfillment of:

Psalm 69:21‘They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.’

Jesus was suffering. There was a human side to this suffering. As Jesus cried out ‘I thirst!’ He gives us a glimpse of His human suffering. And today we have One who has suffered and was tempted in every way and He can identify with everything you and I will every face.

Hebrews 4:15-16For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. ¹⁶ Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Once Jesus had accomplished what He had come to earth to do, He takes a moment to think of Himself and His own physical needs. As a result, today, you and I can know Someone who is able to satisfy our thirst. Let Him come and satisfy your thirst right now!

JESUS IS VICTORIOUS

John 19:30When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

This is a cry of victory. His suffering is over. His work on earth is done. He has accomplished the work His Father had prepared for Him. He had made a way. It was not a half job and nothing was left incomplete. It was done, it was complete, it was finished! He had done everything necessary to save us and give us the opportunity of eternal life with God. In that moment prophesy was fulfilled and complete. In that moment suffering was over. In that moment salvation became a reality. It was a declaration to all that the work was done. IT IS FINISHED!

JESUS COMMITMENTS HIS LIFE INTO HIS FATHER’S HANDS

Luke 23:46Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When He had said this, He breathed His last.

Here again we see Jesus refer to God as His Father. The work is done and once again God is His Father. He was no longer separated from His Father. God was His Father.
He now voluntarily entrust His spirit into the hands of His Father. In the same way you and I need to place our lives, hearts and spirit’s into the hands of our loving Heavenly Father. You can trust God with your heart. He is a safe place. Put your soul into His hands today! The reality of Jesus and His cross will hang like a shadow over all humanity, constantly inviting each man, woman and child to come and place their hearts in His hands. Let us place our hearts and lives in His capable, faithful and trustworthy hands.

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John 19:26 - 27 When Jesus saw His mother there, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

A. THE RELATIONSHIP CHANGES
Here we see how Jesus speaks to His mother. We see how He calls her ‘WOMAN’ not mother. In that moment the relationship changed. He was now ‘THE SON OF GOD – TAKING AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD’. The son of man could never do that, it had to be the Son of God! In that moment He became the Saviour of the world! In the same way, our relationship with God needs to change and He (Jesus) needs to become more than historical knowledge about a man and He needs to become our Saviour!

B. JESUS MAKES PROVISION
Jesus wanted to make sure that Mary was cared for. It is a moment of honouring and provision. Even when faced with tremendous pain and suffering this aspect was important to Him. In addition His disciple John was also at the cross. He was the disciple whom Jesus loved. In Jesus’ wisdom, He must have realized that the one He loved would take care of His mother. In the same way God wants you and I to know that He will make a way for us, even in the toughest of situations. God will be faithful to meet our needs.

4. JESUS CRIES OUT

Matthew 27:45 - 46 From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”-  Which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

A. GOD TURNS HIS BACK ON HIS SON JESUS
Jesus did not say: ‘My God, it feels like you have forsaken me!’ Jesus knew what was happening. God was placing the sin of all mankind on His Son and in that moment God, who could tolerate sin, turned away. To be ‘forsaken’ is undesirable state. To be ‘forsaken’ by God is the ultimate loss. Jesus felt and carried the weight of this loss. Now Jesus changes His terminology and He does not refer to God as His Father, but now God is God. He knew that God could not tolerate sin and in that moment when He carried man’s sin, the reality of God as GOD was a reality. Today God cannot look or tolerate our sin and we need to understand that sin separates us from God. Therefore we need to deal with sin in our own lives. We need to repent and ask God to forgive us, realizing that He is God, but in the process He can become Our Father!

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JESUS PRAYS

Luke 23:34Jesus prayed, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

A. WHEN DID HE PRAY?
When Jesus could do nothing more what did He do – He prayed! His hands were nailed down, His feet where nailed down, His disciples had deserted Him, what could He still do – PRAY!

B. WHAT DID HE PRAY?
In the heat of the pain and the suffering if is a prayer of forgiveness. However Jesus does not say “Father I forgive them!’ Instead He prayed ‘Father, would You forgive them!’ (Emphasis added) If Jesus had forgiven His persecutors then God would still have had to ensure that justice prevailed. BUT if God forgave them (at Jesus’ request) then justice would not be demanded. This is the ultimate forgiveness! A forgiveness which would exempt mankind from the penalty of his actions.

TO WHOM DID HE PRAY?
Jesus prays to His Father. In this moment He acknowledges God and His ‘sonship’ in God. When we go through hard time what do we say? SUGGESTION: Where is God Jesus, on the other hand, does not doubt His Father and turns and prays: ‘Father”.

D. FOR WHOM DID HE PRAY?
He prayed for others. He prayed for people who had done Him a great injustice. He included everyone in His prayer. He prayed for one of man’s greatest needs – FORGIVENESS! He prayed for all of mankind! He prayed for you and me.

2. JESUS OFFERS HOPE

Luke 23:42 - 43Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

A. JESUS GIVES THE GIFT OF SALVATION.
Here we see the greatest picture of the gift of Salvation being given to one who was not deserving. It is a picture of GRACE! LOOK AT THE FOLLOWING: The man needed to be saved. In faith he calls on Jesus. Jesus assures him of heaven. He did not deserve it. God gave it to him!

Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.

This picture plays itself out into our very world today. There are those who are ready to receive Jesus and those who are not! But every man has his chance! Jesus is still ready to give the gift; the gift of Salvation!

B. THERE WERE TWO THIEVES, EACH WITH A DIFFERENT REQUEST.
THIEF 1 – ‘Save Yourself and us!’ A selfish prayer with a twist of bitterness. This man just wanted to live a little longer so that he could continue doing what he had been doing!

THIEF 2 – ‘Remember me!’ This man understood and grasped the reality that eternity lay ahead and he wanted to be part of it! He had a revelation of who Jesus really was and he made it clear when he said: ‘But this man has done nothing wrong.’ (Luke 23:41)

This thief realized that Jesus knew no sin and was in fact the Son of God and understood that HE alone could truly save him.

C. JESUS’ REPLY.
‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.’
This man came and Jesus received him! That is the truth about Jesus Christ! There is no doubt in what Jesus said. He knew this man would die. Then He said these words: ‘YOU WILL BE WITH ME!’ But Jesus was with him! They were hanging together on crosses. They were dying together. What Jesus was saying was that there was something that would follow this earthly existence, another dimension. There is another dimension just outside of your earthly existence! This is a picture of eternity. To be WITH GOD forever is what you and I were designed and destined for!

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In a very real sense, it is not possible to experience a touch from God and then stay the same. If you read the New Testament, every life that the Lord touched was changed.

2 Corinthians 3:16-18'But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, Who is the Spirit.'

A touch from the Master's hand brings change to our lives. God wants to come and change us. God wants to step into our lives and the result is change. As we look into the face of God and reflect His glory, something happens within us, and change takes place. We are changed from glory to glory! This change and this glory comes from God and not from ourselves. God wants to come and change us and transform us.
He wants to transform us in our minds, in our hearts, and in our lives.

DON'T SETTLE FOR ANYTHING LESS THAN A FRESH TOUCH FROM GOD
How often we settle for less than God's best for our lives. We make peace with fear, anxiety, and stress, as if it is the best that we can do under the circumstances. The disciples locked themselves in a room thinking that it was all over, when in fact it was only just about to begin. What they didn't realise was that they were moments away from a touch from God that would in effect give birth to the church and change the world. Don't write yourself off and think that nothing can change. With one touch from the hand of God on your life, everything can change. Just as the Holy Spirit came and invaded the room where the disciples were hiding and everything changed, so as we allow the Lord and His precious Holy Spirit to come and invade our lives, everything can change. Be determined that you want to have a fresh touch from the Lord and ask Him to do just that. It may not come in the form or the preconceived idea you have as to how it should happen, but if we will just give Him right of way, He will do His perfect work in our lives.

Psalm 92:10'I shall be anointed with fresh oil.'

Just like David, who wrote this Psalm, you can be confident and expectant that God wants to touch you afresh. Ask Him to do it and be ready to declare this scripture: 'I shall be anointed with fresh oil.' Lord, I pray for each person who is trusting You for a fresh touch. We realise how desperately we need Your touch in our lives and therefore we ask You to come, by Your Holy Spirit, and blow the very wind of heaven over our lives, our souls, our hearts, and our minds. May Your life-giving breath bring life back into our tired and weary souls. May we be FILLED with Your Holy Spirit and may we be changed according to Your plan and purpose for our lives. Amen.

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After the dramatic events of the first and second world wars, the world went into a recovery period. During this time the church played a vital role. The church became established again and helped many people to find that sure foundation again. Worship was primarily hymns accompanied by an organ. But by the end of the sixties things began to change again. In the midst of this there emerged a fresh visitation from the Lord. It came in a way that no one really anticipated and influenced a group of people that we would consider the most unlikely candidates - Hippies. A man, by the name of Lonnie Frisbee emerged, on whom the hand of God obviously rested. A revival broke out (The Jesus Movement) and thousands of people came to know Christ, and many were baptized in the ocean on the west coast of the USA. Much of this revival happened in a church called Calvary Chapel. The influence of these people who had received a fresh touch from God and had been radically saved and changed brought change to the church as it was known. The worship changed and for the first time, bands would be allowed in churches to lead worship. This was the start of something completely new. Many new church groups and movements came into being all around the world and these changes led to the modern style of worship that is enjoyed around the world today. It set the stage for the new generation and opened the doors to what we see happening in churches around the world today.

A BIT OF MY TESTIMONY:
I grew up in a traditional church with a wonderful biblical foundation. We had been in this church for several generations and my father was a Pastor in this denomination. My father was in ministry at the time when the things recounted above, took place. He was open to the Spirit of God and this saw many changes taking place in our church, much of which I was too young to fully grasp and understand. But in the height of this movement in America, this Pastor, Lonnie Frisbee came to our country and our church. He was a radical and unusual looking man. I attended two meetings, both of which left a profound mark on my life. I saw God working in the lives of people and I saw how they changed and became radical for the Lord. The next meeting that I attended was in a local school hall. Again, Lonnie Frisbee spoke, and his radical and 'sold-out' pursuit of God was evident. He spoke about how the Lord wanted to come and touch us right there in that meeting and that is exactly what happened. I was prayed for and the only way I can explain it is that I experienced a fresh, new, and empowering touch from the Lord, as young as I was. For days after this meeting people would speak to me and tell me a very similar observation. They observed that there was a 'glow' about me. They could see something about me that was visibly different. Although I was not aware of it, I knew that something had shifted within me, and I would never be the same again. Had it not been for that fresh touch from God on that young boy, I doubt if I would even have been in the ministry today.

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In the New Testament we see how something of this nature took place. It gives us a picture of what could take place if we were to experience a fresh touch from God, or, to say it in more spiritual terms, a fresh visitation from God. In Acts Chapter 2 this event is recorded for us. (You are welcome to read this to give you the context.) The disciples of Jesus had been through a very difficult time. Jesus had been dramatically crucified, and their world had been rocked. He then rose from the dead and had ascended back to heaven, and here they were 'left behind' to pick up the pieces. They had enjoyed such a wonderful season with the Saviour and had seen many lives changed and many people healed and restored, but they had also seen the dramatic events of the death of Jesus, as well as His resurrection and ascension to heaven. They had been turbulent and confusing times. Confused and fearful they had gathered in a secure location. They did not know what to do next, except wait and see what would happen.

Acts 2:1 'When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.'

What happened next is that God intersected the situation and history.

Acts 2:2-4 'Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.'
This was one of those critical moments when God intercepted human history.
What we know about this experience is as follows:
1. It happened against a backdrop of dramatic events that had taken place.
2. The disciples were fearful and in a form of self-imposed lockdown.
3. It happened suddenly and was unexpected.
4. What they experienced, they had never experienced or heard about before.
5. They battled to describe it. (They used terms like: 'sounded like' or 'what appeared to be'.)
6. They knew one thing: 'It came from heaven...' (See verse 2)
7. They experienced a touch from God that left them with a sense that they were 'filled'. Not empty, fearful and confused, but filled with the Holy Spirit!
8. They did things they had never done before and things that they were unfamiliar with. 

Acts 2:4 'They began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.'

9. They were changed! They went from fearful and confused to bold and determined. People were drawn to these disciples and the people could see the change in them.
10. They broke free of the things that were holding them in isolation, fear and separation.
11. They stepped out into the world with a new perspective and determination.
12. Thousands of lives were touched, and the world would never be the same again.

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As I was sitting and thinking about what we have faced in the last while, I became aware of the fact that, after all that we've been through, we need a fresh touch from the Lord. In the last two years, we as individuals and as Christians have faced 2 years of pandemic and lockdown, as well as sickness and in some cases death in our families or among our friends. We have also faced the possibility of war which could escalate. We have also heard news of failings in one of the major global churches of our time. The effect of all these, and many other issues (economic, isolation and unemployment, etc.), is that we have entered a survival mode type of existence. People are fearful to re-engage and others now work 'remotely' and there are so many ways in which things have changed or are different, and we can end up feeling insecure. I believe that this is a perfect time to desire, expect and anticipate a fresh touch from God. In a sense we all need it to overcome a form of Post-Traumatic Stress that many people struggle with, even if it is unknowingly. A fresh touch from God would shift our perspective and help us to 'come alive' again. As I look at the world today, I think a new move of God, or a revival, or a fresh, personal experience with God and His great love and mercy towards us, would change the way we feel and the way we see things. I believe that God is always ready and willing to touch His children with a fresh outpouring of His love and anointing if we would humble ourselves and turn to Him and ask Him to do exactly this for us.

2 Chronicles 7:14'If My people, who are called by My Name, humble themselves, and pray and seek (crave, require as a necessity) My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear [them] from heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their land.'

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HOLD ONTO HIS HAND WHEN ALL IS GOING AS PLANNED
Sometimes when things are going smoothly, we can get lulled into the idea that we are managing on our own and we are on top of things. When everything in our lives is going as planned, we may feel that we do not need to hold onto His hand. I remember when I was a small child, I would walk along the edge of the ocean holding my mother's hand. Every now and again I would get bold and brave and think that I could take on the ocean, all by myself. I would let go of her hand and run into the waves. Inevitably I would discover that the ocean was more powerful than I and it would knock me over, I would look up and my mother would be there with her hand extended and I would instinctively grab hold of it and be pulled up. It is human nature to think that we can do it by ourselves when everything is going as planned. But it is also the nature of life to throw curved balls, and it is then that we need to know that we are holding onto His hand.

Psalm 73:23'Yet I am always with you; You hold me by my right hand.'

Even when you feel strong and things are going well, hold onto His hand - you never know the moment you will need it.

HOLD ONTO HIS HAND THROUGHOUT LIFE
Holding onto His hand should be our lifelong ambition. We should live a life of dependency on Him. Learning to be independent is part of the process of life, but learning to stay dependent on Him, is even more important. Someone once told me that when we are born, we are totally dependent. We are completely reliant on others to take care of us. As we get older, we become independent, and we can do things for ourselves and don't really need others. But when maturity comes, we realise that we need to become interdependent because, if the truth be told, we need each other. This applies to an even greater degree with the Lord. Don't get into a cycle of needing God and then doing it by yourself. Develop your dependence on Him and hold onto His hand in good times and in bad times.

Isaiah 46:4'I will be your God throughout your lifetime- until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.'

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HOLD ONTO HIS HAND WHEN THINGS DON'T TURN OUT AS HOPED
As a young man I had my life mapped out before me. The course was clear and the destination certain. For a period of about 10-12 years it just seemed as if everything was falling in line with the plan. Even the poor decisions I made, seemed to bring positive results. I was confident and willing to step out and take risks because each step brought good results. Things I had dreamt about became a reality. Then one day there was a turn in events and things changed. Today, I find myself in an utterly different place from what I had been expecting. But through it all, God had me by the hand, and He brought me through it into a place I could never have imagined. I am so thankful that He knew what was best and He brought it to pass. Little did I know that what God had for me was far greater than I could ever have hoped for, for myself.

Psalm 18:36'You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip.'

Often when things don't turn out as we had hoped, it is because God has something better in store. If you have been disappointed or if things have not turned out as you had hoped, hold onto His hand and He will make you strong again, and He will take care of you.

Psalm 89:21'I will steady him with My hand; with My powerful arm I will make him strong.'

HOLD ONTO HIS HAND WHEN FACING THE STORMS OF LIFE
The storms of life are those inevitable things we have to pass through. Just as in nature a storm can come out of nowhere and rage around us. I remember my grandmother once telling me about a physical storm she experienced. She lived at the sea in a big old farmhouse and a storm blew in. She was alone and the wind howled, and the rain blew so hard against the windows that it sounded like bullets that were hitting the glass. Eventually she became convinced that the house would not be able to stand it much longer and she began to imagine how she would live in the back section of the house - if that was left standing. In the end the storm passed, and the house was still standing. In the storms of life, we need a strong refuge and place of safety. The Lord wants to be that for you and for me. The Bible contains a great story of a storm that hit the disciples as they were traveling by boat.

Matthew 14:28-32''Lord, if it's You,'' Peter replied, ''tell me to come to You on the water.'' ''Come,'' He said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ''Lord, save me!'' Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. ''You of little faith,'' He said, ''why did you doubt?'' And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.

Take note of the fact that the Lord was with them and came to them in the worst of the storm. In the middle of the storm, the Lord allowed a miracle to take place and Peter walked on the water. When the storm became too much and Peter began to sink, Jesus immediately reached out His hand and caught Peter. He will do the same for you - don't doubt, but have faith and believe. The storm will eventually pass, and you will enjoy fellowship with the Lord as you sail on to the next chapter of life.

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SCRIPTURE READING:

Isaiah 41:13For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I Who say to you, 'Fear not, I am the One Who helps you.'

HOLD ONTO HIS HAND IN AN EVER-CHANGING WORLD
We live in a world that is changing as we speak. Things that we could have been sure of, now seem unsure. We live in a very fluid situation and therefore we need to have an anchor to hold onto. The Lord wants you to know that He is your God. He is holding onto you, and you can hold onto Him. He is the One Who wants to come and reassure you that He will see you through. He is the One Who promises to help you and therefore He tells you not to fear.

Isaiah 41:13For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I Who say to you, 'Fear not, I am the One Who helps you.'

HOLD ONTO HIS HAND WHEN THINGS SEEM UNPREDICTABLE
We live in a world that is unpredictable. I recently heard a story about someone in a certain career. His career was sure, and his skill was in high demand. He was always sure of a good job and lived with this certainty. But with the unpredictability of life, he lost his job and could not find another one. Many others, in the same field, found themselves in the same predicament. No one could have seen a change like this, and it left him exposed and vulnerable. When we face these very unpredictable aspects of life, we need to know that we are holding onto His hand.

Psalm 46:2-3'Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.'

No matter what may come our way, His hand in our lives is the hope and the certainty that we have to hold onto.

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 GETTING OUT OF A HOLDING PATTERN!
When we have been through a difficult time when things have been ruined or destroyed, we can often go into a ‘holding pattern’ waiting for things to ‘return to normal’. I once went to Zambia on outreach. We flew direct from Johannesburg to Lusaka. On arrival in Lusaka the pilot was informed that the president’s plane had just arrived and the policy of the Zambian government was that no planes were allowed to take off or land until the president had landed, completed his arrival ceremony and left the airport. We were advised that we would have to maintain a holding pattern and circle the airport until the processes were over on the ground. After 30minutes of flying around in circles we were allowed to land. Some people in the plane moaned and groaned I even heard some people cursing and getting angry. Some settled down to reading a book or magazine and others took out their laptops and started working. In life, sometimes due to circumstances beyond our control we can settle into a holding pattern in which no progress is made. These holding patterns are costly, emotionally and in every other way. Don’t settle for a ‘holding pattern’, trust God to give you vision and then have the courage to GO FOR IT!

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The gracious hand of God was with Nehemiah he had favour.

Nehemiah 2:8 And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.

BUT there was also opposition. Often we think that if God is with us there will be NO opposition. There will always be opposition.

Nehemiah 2:19 But when Sanballat and Tobiah, and Geshem heard of it, they laughed us to scorn and despised us and said, What is this thing you are doing? Will you rebel against the king??

When you and I take the decision to arise and rebuild, there will be opposition. This opposition can take many forms. Don’t let opposition stop you from rebuilding!

ROME WAS NOT BUILT IN A DAY – BUT A LOT CAN BE ACHIEVED IN A SHORT TIME WITH GOD’S FAVOUR!

Nehemiah 6:15 So the wall was finished in fifty-two days.

Nehemiah had the God-given vision. He had the favour of God on his life and endeavours. He had the favour of the king. But we have to ask the questions:
Build what?
Build where?
Build with what?
Notice Nehemiah built on exactly the same foundation. He used the same stones.

Neh 4:2 “What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they are doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a day if they offer enough sacrifices? Look at those charred stones they are pulling out of the rubbish and using again!”

Sometimes we think we must go somewhere else and build. We may even think that we must use new materials to build. God often uses the very ruins and uses those very materials to rebuild what He has in mind.

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The King asks Nehemiah what he wants.

Nehemiah 2:4 The king said to me, “What is it you want?”

Nehemiah tells the king his vision. Nehemiah had a vision to rebuild what had been broken and destroyed. Your vision is what you want to do. It is what God has placed in your heart to do.

Nehemiah 2:12 I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem.

What has God put in your heart to do? That is your vision and perhaps it is even your destiny. Think about that for a moment!

THE PLAN!
Not only did Nehemiah have a vision but he put it into action with a plan. He had an interest in what was happening in his home town. (Neh 1:2) He investigated the situation. (Neh 2:12-15) He started by communicating. (Neh 2:17) Then I said to them! He starts motivating the people so that he could get co-operation. Nehemiah did not do all the work alone.

Neh 2:17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace."

He called for help. Sometimes you and I need to get the help of others in the rebuilding process of our lives. They prepared themselves. The made preparations.

Neh 2:18 And they said, Let us rise up and build! So they strengthened their hands for the good work.

Nehemiah and those with him were determined. We need to have determination.

Neh 2:20 I answered them, The God of heaven will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build.

Then he put together an action plan. Nehemiah 3.

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We are living in challenging and interesting times. The world wide economy. The politics. People seem to be under great stress and pressure. Loss of jobs. This stress is affecting almost every aspect of life. It influences families, marriages, health and a host of other areas. At face value it can seem as though the economic ‘melt-down’ has a far-reaching effect. The nation of Israel went through a similar experience. The city of Jerusalem had been destroyed and the walls had all been broken down. In addition the gates into the city had been burnt down. The nation was vulnerable and exposed. Nehemiah 1 + 2. What area of your life lies in ruins? What areas of your life are broken down or burned? How should you respond? What should you do?

HOW TO RESPOND WHEN THINGS HAVE BEEN BROKEN OR DESTROYED.

Nehemiah 1:4 When I heard this, I sat down and wept and mourned for days and fasted and prayed [constantly] before the God of heaven.

There is a time to face the fact and confront reality. There is a time to cry. Look at what Nehemiah did (5 Things).

He sat down.
He cried/wept.
He mourned for days.
He fasted.
He prayed. (Including confession and repentance) v 5 - 10

There needs to be a progression. We can’t just sit down and do nothing indefinitely. We can’t mourn, weep and cry forever. We need to start to turn to God and believe.

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RELIEF - COMES IN MANY FORMS.
God knows what each of us needs. He knows exactly the relief that you need. It may be respite – a time of rest, a break from the pressure & the stress. It may be restoration – to a former condition, undoing the damage. It may be release – to be set free from restraints and confinements. God is able to bring the relief you need in your situation. 

WITH RELIEF COMES OPPORTUNITY. 
When we experience relief it is always accompanied by opportunity. Opportunity for change. Opportunity for situations and circumstances to change. Open doors and new adventures. It reminds me of the Bible story when the disciples were in the boat in the storm and they were filled with fear. Then Jesus comes walking to them on the water and they are so relieved. As a result Peter gets out of the boat and walks on the water. When relief comes the results can be unbelievable and unlimited. Revelation 3:8 ‘See I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it!’ Let’s believe God for the relief He has in store for us. As a result let us step through the open door of opportunity.

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God is a just God and He loves to show justice. Sometimes we can face situations that are just unfair. Injustice and in particular the sense of injustice is a terrible emotion. Life is not fair. Things do not work out as we had always hoped and planned. Someone once said to me: ‘The wheel of God turns slowly, but it grinds finely.’ Someone else said to me: ‘It all comes out in the washing!’ I have seen how God’s wheel turns and I have learnt that it is always best to do the right thing, because things will turn and then you don’t want regrets. Ultimately God works things out for our good. God is the great judge and He wants to see justice prevailing in each person's situation. This brings relief.

Isaiah 61:8 ‘For I the Lord love justice!’

RELIEF - I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW!
It reminds me of an old song: ‘I can see clearly now the rain has gone. I can see all obstacles in my way.’ When we can’t see clearly and we do not feel like we have vision and our dreams seem to disappearing before our eyes – life is difficult. I believe that God wants to bring clarity of vision. It is such a relief when we can see where we are going and know we are moving in the right direction. God wants to add new dimensions so that we can see clearly and have clarity and vision as well as hopes and dreams.

Proverbs 29:18 ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish.'

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Sometimes we get locked into situations or circumstances that seem to have no end or no way of getting out of. These can be any host of things. It could include: relationship and marriage problems, financial hardships, a frustrating career or job, frustrations and dissatisfaction in some or other area. You may be wondering will this situation every change or am I just locked-in to this for life? Relief also means the breaking of or the avoiding of monotony or boredom.  Expect change and expect ‘suddenly's’ in your situation.

Acts 2:1 – 2 ‘When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. SUDDENLY a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from the heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.’

RELIEF - GOD HAS INTERVENED!
We carry so many things that we were not designed to carry. Sometimes we feel that if we do not do it, it will never be done. There are some things we can do nothing about. We must not ‘sweat the small stuff’. We must not worry about things we can do nothing about. Let us do the possible and let’s leave the impossible to God! God wants to come and release us from a post (of solving every problem) or from the performance of duty, especially when there is nothing we can do about it. God is going to intervene in your situation. Give Him the impossible.

2 Timothy 1:12 ‘For I know the One in whom I trust, and I am sure that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him.’ 

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A few weeks ago I felt the Lord gave me the word RELIEF.  Many people are feeling challenged and down-hearted. In the midst of all of this I sense the Lord is saying that He is going to bring relief. This relief can come in many forms and would vary from person to person and from situation to situation. Relief is not like winning the jackpot, but relief is a change in conditions or circumstances so that it is easier to carry the load.

RELIEF - THE LOAD IS LIGHTER.

We all carry loads/burdens with us in life. Especially now! The source of these loads can result from almost any and every circumstance in life. The loads we carry can, with time, become oppressive, painful or distressing. I believe that God wants to come and either remove or lighten or relieve that load. We were never meant to carry it alone. Let’s expect that God is going to step into our situation and circumstances and bring the relief we need.

Matthew 11:28 – 30 ‘Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’

RELIEF - CALL IN THE TROOPS!
During times of war, sections of the army would fight the war in certain regions. As the battle continued the troops would become battle weary and supplies would run low. They would send for backup and another group would arrive to assist. The new group would be called the relief. This is what you would call military assistance to an endangered post or force. Do you feel like your situation is an ‘endangered post’ or do you feel like you are facing forces that are just too strong for you to be able to contend with? God wants to send in the backup, the relief support so that we do not need to fight this battle on our own. 

2 Chronicles 20:17 ‘You shall not need to fight in this battle; take your positions, stand still, and see the deliverance of the Lord who is with you.’

Remember – HE is your relief.

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THE TIME FOR GOD TO ACT 
There is a time (an instant) when God moves. The story of Joseph is an example. God gave him dreams of things to come. But from that point on, everything went wrong. He was rejected, abandoned, sold into slavery, abused, falsely accused and imprisoned. There he was forgotten. Some experts estimate that this period was about 14 years and then in one day he went from the prison to the throne! It may not be in the time frame that we would have thought best, BUT, He knows best. The time comes when God responds and acts. 

Psalm 119:126 'Lord, it is time for you to act.' Psalm 37:7'Rest in the Lord; wait patiently for Him to act.' Psalm 42:11 'But, O my soul, don't be discouraged. Don't be upset. Expect God to act!'

There is a time for God to act. 

THE TIME OF REJOICING BECAUSE GOD HAS COME THROUGH FOR US 
This is another moment in time. A time of victory and rejoicing. A moment of joy in the realization that God has answered, has heard and has come through for us. 

Psalm 18:1-2 This song of David was written at a time when the Lord had delivered him from his many enemies, including Saul. 'Lord, how I love You! For You have done such tremendous things for me. The Lord is my fort where I can enter and be safe; no one can follow me in and slay me. He is a rugged mountain where I hide; He is my Savior.' 

Maybe this has been what you have been longing for. Just as God come through for the great men of faith in the Bible, so He wants to come through for each of us. Have you given up? Don't, victory could be just around the corner.

THE RIGHT TIME 
There are times and season for everything. 

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 There is a right time for everything: A time to be born; a time to die; A time to plant; a time to harvest; A time to kill; a time to heal; A time to destroy; a time to rebuild; A time to cry; a time to laugh; A time to grieve; a time to dance; A time for scattering stones; a time for gathering stones; A time to find; a time to lose; A time for keeping; a time for throwing away; A time to tear; a time to repair; A time to be quiet; a time to speak up; A time for loving; a time for hating; A time for war and a time for peace. 

Whatever season you may find yourself in, may you embrace that period and allow your trust to be in the One who can be trusted. His timing (moment or instant when things happen) is impeccable! In Christ alone I place my trust and find my glory in the power of the cross, in every victory. Let it be said of me, that my source of strength and my source of hope is in Christ alone.

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THE TIME TO REALISE THAT OUR TIME ON EARTH IS SHORT 
There comes a time when we realize that our time here on earth is a short season. When we are young we think we will live forever. With time we begin to understand that life is short and we will not live, as we know it forever. My own father died at the age of 57. Up until then, we as a family had never experienced death first hand. In fact, even though my Dad was not physically strong, we somehow did not think he would die. But he did and it seemed premature. Up until that point we felt immortal, as if we would never die. But when death became a reality, in an instant I realized that life is short. It is for this reason that it takes courage to face old age, as the reality of the brevity of life becomes a reality. 

Psalm 39:4-5 Lord, help me to realize how brief my time on earth will be. Help me to know that I am here for but a moment more. My whole lifetime is but a moment to You. 

While we are young and we feel immortal, we live life as if it will never end, but in that moment in time when we discover that life is short, everything changes. From our motivations to our actions. The wise use of time is a vital aspect that we need to understand. 

THE TIME TO TRUST
There comes a time in our lives when we have to trust. We should trust God at all times, but we often trust and rely on ourselves. But there comes a time to each one of us when we have no alternative but to trust God. Perhaps you are trusting for a family member, or some situation that you long for God to resolve. Then it is your time (moment) of trusting. 

Psalm 62:8'O my people, trust Him all the time. Pour out your longings before Him, for He can help!' 

If you are in the time of trusting, there is something that you need to do, 'pour out your longings before Him'. The greatest joy is the fact that 'He can help.' Let your source of hope and your source of strength be in Christ alone! 

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Have you ever noticed how much of our lives is taken up by waiting? We wait in line to be served. We wait for our children to get out of school. We wait for a new car we have ordered. We wait to move into a new house we have purchased. There are periods in our lives where we live in longing. Perhaps we can call it living in anticipation. And we all go through periods during which we are longing for God to come through for us. These can be difficult times; times of despondency and times when we may be tempted to despair. 

Psalm 14:7 Oh, that the time of their rescue were already here, that God would come from Zion now to save his people. What gladness when the Lord has rescued Israel!

Perhaps you have been living in a time like this. A time of longing that God would come through for you, your family, your marriage or your health. It is in these times that we need to be careful. If we give up, it leads to our hearts becoming hard and that can be destructive. We must hold on!

THE TIME TO TURN AWAY FROM DOING WRONG
Here is another time in our lives that is crucial. A time (an instant) when we deal ruthlessly with sin. A time of settling issues in our hearts that will stand for a lifetime.

Psalm 34:14 Turn from all known sin and spend your time in doing good. Try to live in peace with everyone; work hard at it. 

It calls for a change in the way in which we live. These times (moments) of turning can be a challenge. BUT the Holy Spirit wants to helps us in all things. Perhaps you are in a time of turning away from what is wrong. Perhaps you have endeavored to do so, but you have failed from time to time. Don't allow that to stop the 'time of turning.' God's plan for us is to be over-comers. For this reason most people can tell you when they were Born Again. It was a specific moment in time when things changed in their lives.

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Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 To EVERYTHING there is a SEASON, and a TIME for every matter or purpose under heaven: A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted, A time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build up, A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, A time to get and a time to lose, a time to keep and a time to cast away, A time to rend and a time to sew, a time to keep silence and a time to speak, A time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. 

Note that the scripture says 'there is a SEASON and a TIME for everything!' 

DEFINITION: 
A SEASON- a specific period of time. A certain period marked by specific (climatic) conditions. 
TIME - The Hebrew word most commonly translated as 'time' is ayt, which really refers to the instant or duration of time during which something occurs. There is a season (a period of time) for all things but there is also a time (an instant, when something happens) for all things. Seasons are well understood, but the 'TIME' aspect is more difficult to grasp and understand. Time is a strange thing. Some have too much time on their hands. Most have not got enough time to give attention to everything that needs their attention. Time is an illusive thing; it seems to run away from us and in some cases simply escapes us. Time is a moment, an hour, a day, a year or any period given to us. For some time may only be a few more moments and for others time may be still many years. Time is a major issue to mankind and an issue that does not bind God. There are different times in our lives and if we can understand these, I believe we will be able to trust God even more.

ILLUSTRATION: 
I recently wanted to prepare our gardens for a special function. I wanted to get the grass green and the trees to shoot their leaves. It was the season of springtime and here and there things had started to bud. Even though it was the start of the spring season and even through some plants and trees had begun to bud, most had not. The TIME (the instant when things happen) had not occurred. We pruned the trees, we fertilized the trees, we watered the trees, but they remained barren branches. We even had unseasonably warm weather, BUT the moment for their TIME to bud had not come. It did, but not exactly when I wanted it to happen. It was the SEASON but not yet the TIME! I want to look at these TIMES that many of us face during the course of life.

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God is the only one we should fear. Fear, with its debilitating influence should not be given the first place in our lives. Often times it is our fears that get the greatest amount of attention from our hearts and minds. If we can know God and His presence in our lives we can have the balance restored and fear Him and not fear all the earthly aspects of life.

Matthew 10:28 Don't be afraid of those who can kill only your bodies - but can't touch your souls! Fear only God who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Proverbs 14:26 He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.

THE ALTERNATIVE
What is the alternative? How shall we live? I believe I have an answer. It may not be that easy, but it is the answer. We will need to trust God.

Luke 8:50 But when Jesus heard what had happened, He said to the father, "Don't be afraid! Just trust me, and she'll be all right."

Jesus gave us the alternative - 'Don't be afraid! Just trust me.' Begin to replace your fear with a trusting in God. This is the alternative.

ASK GOD FOR HELP
When it comes to the fears we all battle with, we can ask God for His help. If you are battling today, why not consider doing this. Go to God and call on Him to help you. I believe He will do just that and that He will step into our lives and help us.

Psalm 34:4 For I cried to Him and He answered me! He freed (delivered) me from all my fears.

The rewards are that we can know what it means to be delivered and freed from all our fears. That is the way I want to live. If you need God to help you in this regard, ask Him!

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THE FEAR OF DEATH
Many people battle with this fear. They fear death and the process of death. I believe this is primarily because of the fact that death is so final and so unknown. But God came to deliver us and free us from this very real fear.

Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.

GOD IS WITH US
If God is with us we do not need to fear.

Psalm 23:4 I will fear no evil, for You are with me.

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.

God's love within us has the power to remove and drive out our fears. Fear is such a stronghold in our lives that it needs to be driven out. We must deal with fear ruthlessly. Don't give in to fear and give it a foothold in your life.

Romans 8:31 What can we ever say to such wonderful things as these? If God is on our side, who can ever be against us?

DO NOT FEAR
Listen to what we hear over and over again, in the Bible. Something that God said repeatedly. DO NOT FEAR!

Joshua 8:1 Then the Lord said to Joshua, "Don't be afraid or discouraged."

Judges 6:23 "It's all right," the Lord replied. "Don't be afraid! You shall not die."

Isaiah 41:13  I am holding you by your right hand - I, the Lord your God - and I say to you, Don't be afraid; I am here to help you.

Isaiah 8:13 Don't fear anything except the Lord of the armies of heaven! If you fear Him, you need fear nothing else.

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Often times we are facing hidden fears. These are fears within our hearts that others do not know and do not even realise we are battling with. A parent may have fears concerning their children, and the children have no knowledge of this fear. An employer may have fears concerning the state of his business and his staff may have no knowledge of it. Often times we find ourselves walking around with fears within us. I am glad to tell even some of the great men in the Bile experienced this.

2 Corinthians 7:5 For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn - conflicts on the outside, fears within.

God wants to help us with these fears on the inside as well.

THE MANY FEARS
We all face different fears. I know a dear older couple who said: 'It takes courage to get old.' At the different stages of life there are different fears we have to deal with. Whatever fear you may be facing, let me reassure you and tell you that God wants to take care of those aspects as well.

Psalm 91:5-6 Now you don't need to be afraid of the dark anymore, nor fear the dangers of the day; nor dread the plagues of darkness, nor disasters in the morning.

Here is the reassuring fact from God: 'You don't need to be afraid.'

1 Peter 5:7 'Let Him have all your worries and cares, for He is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you.'

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Many people are plagued with fear, worry, concern and doubt. Yet over and over we see in the Bible how that we should not worry and fear. But it is innate to human beings. I believe that God wants to help us today. Recently I have been fearful and worried about a certain practical aspect of my life. I must admit that I found it difficult to release it to God. The moment that I thought I had released it I would begin to think of the problem from another angle. But as I managed to give it to Him, I was able to experience a release. What fears and burdens are you carrying today? Could you find the courage in your heart to give them to God?

OUR FEARS FOR TODAY
Human fears are many. Each individual has his/her own battle. We have fears regarding almost every conceivable aspect of life. It is highly likely that when you got up this morning you had some concern regarding this day on your mind. We do have fears about today. Are you facing any fears for today? It may be that you are fearful about where the next meal will come from, or that you are fearful that you may lose your job or your business or your health. God wants to take care of our fears for today.

OUR FEARS ABOUT TOMORROW
We have many fears regarding the future. Fears regarding a time frame that we know nothing about as yet. I remember my own mother telling me that she had two fears regarding my life. The first was that there would be no money to pay for my university training and second that there would be no money to give me a decent 21st birthday party. Both these fears never realised. I have discovered that the fear of the future and the 'unknownness' of the future, is something many people really battle with.

Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from His love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels won't, and all the powers of hell itself cannot keep God's love away. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, or where we are - high above the sky, or in the deepest ocean - nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ when He died for us.

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TWO THINGS THAT WE MUST DO.
There are two things that we must do.

John 7:37 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.'

The first, as mentioned above, is to respond to the invitation and come to Him. The second is that we need to engage and drink. When we are physically thirsty and we drink natural water, we take it into our bodies. Our thirst is not quenched until we actually receive into our bodies as we drink it. There is a receiving that needs to take place. Once we have done this, the miracle happens and this living water can begin to flow from within us like a spring or a perpetual fountain.

John 7:37-38 Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'"

It starts with drinking and ends up as a flowing river of living water within us.

HIS PROMISE TO US.
The promise is that He will give us the water we are looking and longing for. If it is forgiveness you need, He will forgive. If it is grace you need, He will give His grace. If it is mercy you need, He will give you His mercy. He will not withhold the water to satisfy your thirst. He wants to give you an abundant supply. He also wants to give you an abiding supply, not a flash flood and then nothing, but a perpetual flowing supply.

John 4:14 'But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.' (NLB)

John 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

God wants this water He gives to be 'IN US' not on us. It is something that we must make our own. It is something that we should embrace and allow it to come and transform our lives in every way. It is something that should be alive and not stagnant. The Bible speaks of water springing up. It speaks of a fresh bubbling spring. It speaks of a river and a flow that should take place. I believe that this life-giving flow should flow out of us and be a blessing to others. We can't just store up the flow, but we must share it, give it and let it be a blessing around us.

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HIS MESSAGE WAS ADDRESSED TO A SPECIFIC CATEGORY OF PEOPLE.

John 7:37 Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 'If anyone is thirsty.....'

It was a message to those who fell into the category of thirsty. The area in which this story plays out is an arid region. Water is a valuable commodity and the concept of being thirsty would have been understood by the people who were listening. But thirst is also a basic human condition that we can all grasp and understand. It is as relevant today as it was in that day. Every aspect of our physical lives requires water Just to be able to function normally we need water. Thirst is an indication from within our physical bodies of a need. Physically, if we do not respond to our thirst, it can lead to painful consequences and if left unattended can be fatal. So our natural bodies desperately need water. Now Jesus uses this natural picture to help understand how great our spiritual need is. In the same way, without this spiritual water, we can also suffer painful consequences and without it over time it can lead to a form of death within us. Thirst indicates urgency. If we do not respond to our thirst, we will eventually stop being thirsty and that brings with it its own results. Thirst is a craving, it is a basic instinct and it is an essential mechanism. There are receptors in our bodies that detect a shortage of water. I believe that there are receptors in our spiritual dimension that also detect that we have a shortage of God in our lives and it produces a spiritual thirst and we know it needs to be addressed and satisfied. This is what causes people to search in so many different directions; because something within them tells them that if this aspect is not satisfied they will be in trouble.

HE OFFERS LIVING WATER DIRECTLY FROM THE SOURCE - HIMSELF!

John 7:37 Saying, 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.'

The invitation is very clear: 'Come to Me...!' There is something we need to do. We must 'come to Him'. We know this water that He wanted to give was in fact the Holy Spirit. The effect of this living water to our spiritual lives could be compared to the effect of water to a thirsty physical body. It would relieve the thirst. It would satisfy the soul. It would stop the pain. It would allay the fears. It would strengthen, refresh and revive us. The soul that feels as if it is dying would live again. Strength and joy would return. Like physical water, this living water would come and cleanse, purify and remove the contaminations that have collected over time. Some years ago, my eldest daughter become very ill and it was accompanied with high fever. After many Doctor's visits and lots of medication she was still not recovering. Eventually we took her to a specialist and he took one look at her and said that his child would not be able to recover on her own. She needed urgent intervention. She was admitted to hospital and a drip with medication was administered. Slowly she recovered and the life that had seemed to have been drained out of her, slowly returned and she recovered fully. We can't do it on our own. We need external intervention and there is only one source! He is the source and He is the only one who can give you what your very soul needs and longs for. So come to Him today.

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John 7:37-38 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'"

GREAT WORDS FROM A GREAT SOURCE.
At the time that this was written, a great feast was being celebrated. It was an important time in the annual calendar. At the end of this great celebration, Jesus stands up and begins to speak of some great things. These were not words spoken by some arb individual. These words were spoken by the Son of God Himself. It was not a disciple, or a follower, or a priest, or some great prophet. No, these words were spoken by Christ Himself. John the Baptist recognized that Jesus was the truly great one and the source of all things. 

Mark 1:7-8 John announced: "Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am - so much greater that I'm not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of His sandals. I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!"

His words were and are truth and life. His words can be relied on and trusted. His words are faultless and based on unlimited knowledge. His words were an invitation to the people and they are an invitation to you and I today. His words were not complicated or difficult to understand. His words are life and truth.

John 14:6 Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'

A GREAT MESSAGE TO THEM AND TO US.

John 7:37 'Jesus stood and cried out...'

Sometimes I like to stop and imagine and see with my mind's eye what this must have looked like. Here He stands up and begins to cry out to the people around Him. Can you see the picture and can you imagine their excitement as He begins to speak? People used to follow Him all around the area waiting for Him to stop and speak, so that they could hear what He had to say and be healed in the process. Imagine their excitement as Christ now stands up and they begin to speak among themselves and say: 'What will He tell us this time?' They would hang on every word that came from the source of life. But that message on that day was not just for those people in that day. It is also a message for you and I right here and right now. His words continue to be living words and can fill us with life today.

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Psalm 23:2 ‘He makes me lie down in green pastures.’

God wants to do something fresh and give us a fresh start.

3 ASPECTS TO TAKE NOTE OF:

1. ‘Green pastures.’ This speaks of something fresh, rich, nourishing and definitely something to thrive on.
2. ‘HE’ You don’t have to rely on your nourishment to come from anyone else. The Lord says I, Myself will be your Shepherd.
3. ‘Lie Down.’ (A place of rest) 2013 may have felt quite harsh, a bit barren and difficult and although we have seen and experienced His goodness we look forward to a fresh start in green pastures.

God is the God of the fresh start.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Acts 3:19-20 Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.

LET THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD COME UPON YOU
Samson was one of the unusual characters of the Bible. He seemed to make lots of mistakes. But God used him in many ways. Even though he may have made his fair share of mistakes, when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, awesome things happened.

Judges 15:14 The Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands.

The New Living Translation says it like this: ‘But the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon Samson, and he snapped the ropes on his arms as if they were burnt strands of flax, and they fell from his wrists.’ In the Holman Christian Standard Bible it says: ‘The Spirit of the LORD took control of him.’ The touch of the Spirit of the Lord on our lives makes all the difference. In fact, the touch of the Spirit of the Lord on Samson’s life led to great victory!

Judges 15:15 Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men.

God has victory in store for you. Let His Spirit come upon you today. Receive a fresh infilling right now. Lord, I pray that You, by Your Holy Spirit will come upon us now. How we need Your Spirit. Give us strength to help us stand. Living water come and flow to us, shower down Your mercy and shower down Your grace on our lives. Amen.

A PROMISE

Psalm 65:11 You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.

How gracious is the Lord that He affords us the opportunity to make a fresh start, not only once a year, but each and every day.

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One thing I have discovered is that we can’t drag the baggage of the old season into the new. Often we can’t let go and move forward and we end up so consumed with the baggage of the past while trying to accommodate it in our future. We need to start with a clean slate - if you are given a clean slate, you can start something again.
Recently I stayed at a property that had a large London Plain Tree at the one end. On one of the branches a parasite had taken over and this large parasite had taken root on this branch and the branch was laboring under the weight of this foreign, invasive plant and the very life seemed to be drained out of this majestic tree. One evening as we were walking around, we heard a strange sound. It sounded like an acorn falling on a tin roof. My daughter and I stopped and we wondered what it was, but it was silent again, so we strolled on further. We heard the sound again, and again we wondered what it could be as there was no wind and everything was still. As we walked further, suddenly this branch, with the large parasite, came crashing down from the tree. The noise we had heard was the branch breaking and the whole branch came away and the parasite was removed in one moment. Fortunately we were a safe distance away, but as this happened it was as if the Lord spoke to me and said that He wants to cause those things that have taken root, those things that have sapped the life out of us, to fall off us. Today, let it be a day when you let those things that are holding you back drop off of you. Let your Heavenly Father come and let Him remove the burdens and the baggage. Let Him come now and remove the weight of the burdens, the weaknesses, the life-sapping foreign invasions in your life. Let us walk free, unhindered and untethered into the freedom He has for us.

MAKE A DECISION TO ENGAGE
This is not a time to disengage. It is time to make a decision to engage. I was recently standing in the waves on the beach, enjoying the cool refreshing water, when I noticed a helicopter flying down the beach, just above the surf in my direction. I stopped and stood in the waves watching and imagining what it would be like to fly low-level over the beach. As it approached I could see into the cockpit and I could clearly see the pilots looking down at me. Then, the one pilot raised his hand and waved at me. Instantaneously I waved back as we acknowledged each other and they passed over my head. I thought to myself, the people on the beach must think I am crazy, a grown man waving at a helicopter? But I did not care, because even through this God was speaking to me. God wants us to engage with Him. There is an old song with the following words: Reach out and touch the Lord as He passes by. You’ll find He’s not too busy to hear your heart’s cry. He is passing by this moment, your needs to supply. Reach out and touch the Lord as He passes by! Sometimes we are so worried about what others will say. Perhaps some will say that we are fanatics. But don’t let that influence you. It is time to engage with God. It is time to engage with the work of the Lord. It is time to engage with His chosen vehicle, the church. It’s time to get involved. It’s time to get committed. It’s time to start making a difference and doing something different. Like the gears in an engine that come together and interlink or interlock and produce results, it is time for you and me to engage and interlock our lives with God, His people and His church.

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It is wonderful to know that you and I can make a fresh start. A fresh start is the opportunity to start all over again. It is a new beginning. With God in our lives we have the privilege and the opportunity to make a fresh start each day of our lives.

Lamentations 3:22-23 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

Every morning of our lives His mercies are available to us afresh and everyday His faithfulness is within our grasp. We cannot exhaust His compassion and His great love for us. Look at that same scripture from the NLT (New Living Translation). NLT – ‘The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.’ I declare that a new period of time has arrived for you. Embrace it as you step into your new season.

WE ALL NEED A FRESH START
How true it is that we all need a new start. Somehow life forces us into a rut. Somehow the rut eventually dictates the direction of our lives. The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth. God has more for each of us! God has got more for you, not just more of the same but more of His favour, more of His loving-kindness and more of His abundant life. Perhaps you feel like you need a fresh start? Recently we enjoyed some time on the beach. As we arrived there the beach looked like a million people had walked across it. There were just footprints as far as the eye could see. We enjoyed several hours on the beach during which time high tide came and went and as we walked back to the car I noticed that the tide had come up and transformed the beach. All the footprints were gone and the beach was smooth and clear. As we walked back making new, fresh footprints I realized that this is how it is with God. He wants to come and clear away and melt away the past ruts and give us a fresh start. In your mind’s eye, see Him coming and washing away all the past hurts, disappointments and despair and see Him preparing a new, vast, clear beach for you to explore, enjoy and discover. “Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?” ― L.M. Montgomery. The future begins today.

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David knew one thing for sure and that was that God was the Rock on which he could rely and stand firm. He may have been shaken and rattled by the magnitude of his situation and circumstances, but he knew that there was a Rock. He knew that God was faithful, and he knew that God was a Refuge in the time of storms. Our family comes from the Eastern Cape of South Africa. At a particular spot on the coast there stands a large rock that juts out into the sea. Legend has it that years ago a ship ran aground in the area. The survivors decided to walk back to Europe following the coastline. Fortunately for them they spotted a passing boat and climbed up this exposed rock and managed to alert the boat to their presence and they were rescued. In the process they were spared what would have been a certain death trying to walk back to Europe. Had it not been for this rock they probably would never have been noticed and their fate would have been sealed. Had it not been for the Rock we have in God, we too would be lost, without hope. The problem is that sometimes in the storms of life that want to overwhelm us, it can be difficult to find the Rock we so desperately need. Our own doubts and fears can cloud our judgement. The Rock (God Himself), which we so desperately need in our lives, would be of little use to us if the Holy Spirit had not showed us which way to go and gently pushed us in His direction.
We are so prone to rely on ourselves and our own thoughts and plans that we need to be led to the Rock on Whom we can rest secure. Even if we are overwhelmed and can't see the way clearly, His Holy Spirit can lead us to our Rock of refuge. So, David prayed this prayer: 'Lord, lead me to the Rock!' In essence he was saying: 'Lord, I cannot do it on my own, help me to get to You and to be able to find my security and hope in You!' Regardless of the storms that may be overwhelming you in your mind and in your heart, you can do what David did. You can cry out to the Lord from wherever you may find yourself and you can ask Him to bring you to that place of confidence and hope in Him and in His endless love and power.

Psalm 18:2'The LORD is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Saviour; my God is my Rock, in Whom I find protection. He is my Shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.'

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When we are going through difficult times, we can feel overwhelmed. Sometimes we face situations that can feel overwhelming. These are times when we feel out of our depth or desperate. David spoke out about the way he was feeling.

 Psalm 61:2'When my heart is overwhelmed...'

The original word for the word ''overwhelmed'' is the idea of being enveloped or completely covered by the magnitude of the situation. It is never a pleasant experience to feel overwhelmed. I have often had to deal with people who struggle with anxiety. When they experience acute anxiety, it is called a 'panic attack' and they become awash with fear. It often effects their ability to function and to see things clearly. When we feel overwhelmed it feels like waves that wash over us and it can even leave us feeling like we are being pushed under and are being drowned by the situation. This situation can affect our thinking and our feelings. But David knew how to handle this. Let's look at what he did in the middle of this situation, and let's learn from him so that we will know what to do when we face such times.

DAVID CRIED OUT TO GOD

Psalm 61:2'I will cry to You!'

When we feel overwhelmed and removed from our rightful place and destiny, we must not become consumed or overwhelmed, but we must shift our focus. Our focus needs to shift off the situation and onto God and His strength and ability. When things seem overwhelming, we must overwhelm them with prayer. At such times we can call on God to lift us up as only He can do. The Lord offers us His security that only His divine help can bring us. It's hard to pray and call on God when situations are overpowering us, but it's the best thing to do. If you are in such a situation, just begin to call on the Lord and if that is too hard, just speak the Name of Jesus over yourself and your situation. Don't let what you are going through stop you from calling out to God, rather let it encourage you to call on Him even more. David cried out to God. It sounds like he made some noise and shouted out to God. Even though He felt overwhelmed and felt utterly removed, he knew that no matter where he found himself nor what he was facing, he could call out to God. Your situation is not greater than your ability to cry out to God. The situation and the circumstances may not be good, but God is there with you.

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This psalm was written by David at a difficult time in his life. He was facing things that he had not anticipated or expected. This Psalm is a cry to God from a desperate person who was in a place of transition and the outcome was not certain. Although, in the end, David would be able to look back and see how God had restored him, the place he found himself in was challenging. This Psalm gives us a very personal insight into David's life and what he was facing and the struggle within himself.

DAVID FOUND HIMSELF IN A PLACE HE DID NOT WANT TO BE
At this time in David's life, he was living in exile. He was removed from what he was accustomed to and had enjoyed. There had been a change in his situation, and he found himself in a place or position that he did not want to be in. He called that place 'the end of the earth'!

Psalm 61:2'From the end of the earth...'

He felt utterly removed from what he had hoped for or expected. Instead of being in the center of the universe of God's blessing and plan, he felt he was in a place that was removed from his rightful place, and it seemed like the remotest and most inaccessible place on earth by comparison. Have you ever found yourself in a place or a situation where you never imagined you could end up, and in a place where you did not want to be? Perhaps that place could be called unemployed, broke, divorced, alone, unfulfilled, sick, depressed, frustrated, or disappointed. Just because you find yourself in a place or a situation that you never imagined possible, does not mean that that place is your final destination. Years ago, we used to travel on a small, narrow, winding tar road to get to our farm. One day a sign board went up advising us that a new road would be built. My family was very excited about this development. What we did not realise was that the new road would be built more or less in the place of the old road. The result was that we had to spend several years on detours and gravel sections of road that were far worse than the existing road. But a day came when the new, completed, wide road was opened, and we could enjoy travelling in comfort and safety. You may find yourself in a place that you do not wish to be, but it is not the end of the road!

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When we follow God, it leads to life and to the level path He has prepared for us. But when we follow our own ideas, our own choices, to the exclusion of the Lord in our lives, the path can become a struggle. We can make mistakes or rely on our own wills and opinions. We can depend on ourselves, when we should be depending on Him, and this leads to unexpected consequences and a path that is choked with problems and issues. But when we follow Him, it opens the way for us to discover the pathway that leads to life.

Proverbs 12:28 'Living right is a pathway that leads to life and away from death.' (Contemporary English Version)

Sometimes we simply don't know which way to go, and even there the Lord is waiting to take us by the hand and turn things around. He may not take us down the road we were expecting, but He will take us to the place that He wants us to be.

Isaiah 42:16 'I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will guide them on unfamiliar paths. I will turn darkness into light before them and rough places into level ground. These things I will do for them, and I will not forsake them.'

He will lead you and He will never leave you nor forsake you.

YOUR MOUNTAIN MOVING GOD HAS A SPECIFIC PATH FOR YOU
No two individuals travel the exact same path through life. Every person has his or her own path to find and to walk. When we look at others, we may think that their path is much easier or better than ours, but that is not the case. Each person has their own issues, challenges, and struggles, but the Lord wants to lead each one of us along the best particular pathway for us as individuals.

Hebrews 12:1 '...let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us.'

Each one of us has a different race to run and a different path to follow, but we have the same Lord Who will bring us all through it all.

Enroute, He will remove mountains and fill valleys and bring us out victorious.

Acts 2:28 'You have made known to me the paths of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence.'

Isaiah 26:7 'The path of the righteous is level; You clear a straight path for the righteous.' (Christian Standard Bible)

Psalm 23:3 'He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honour to His Name.'

Your 'mountain moving God' is with you all the way!

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As God's son and daughters, we are asked to believe that God will make a way where there seems to be no way. We are asked to believe that God can and will remove the Jericho's, the obstacles, and the mountains that stand in the way. As a young man I used to enjoy hiking. It was such an enjoyable experience to be out in nature and hike for up to five days. Some hikes were badly designed and you ended up climbing and descending without any recovery time. Other hikes were well designed and you would climb a bit and then follow the contour (the level path) and enjoy a time to recover and see the view, before descending or climbing again. I believe that the path of life that God has prepared for us is well designed. It is designed to be something we can achieve, and with His help, it can be something we will be victorious in. The Bible speaks of 'the level path of life' and this is something we can know as a reality in our lives. In order to experience this, mountains will have to be removed.

Proverbs 5:21 'For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He maketh level all his paths.' (English Revised Version)

The Lord wants to teach you and show you the way, if only you will put your hand in His and take hold of it.

Psalm 27:11 'Teach me Your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies [who lie in wait].'

NO OBSTACLE IS TOO BIG FOR GOD
We must never limit what God can do. He is the all-powerful and the almighty God, and nothing is too difficult for Him. As you look at the challenges you are facing, lift up your eyes and look to the One Who is greater than those challenges or issues you are facing, and keep your eyes on Him, and He will bring you through it on the level path that He has prepared for you. In the city in which I live there is a mountain that separates two sections of the city. During the great depression, men were assigned to build, by hand, a roadway up the side of this mountain to create easy access over the mountain and to link the two sections of the city. What was insurmountable became very manageable and still to this day it allows ease of access, and remains a remarkable feat of handmade engineering. What would have required incredible energy to climb, can now be crossed by vehicle in less than a few minutes. The Lord wants to do the same for you. He wants to step in and remove the obstacles that you think will never be overcome. He wants to make a way where there seems to be no way. Don't limit God, there is no pit or valley deep enough that He cannot fill. There is no mountain high enough that He cannot deal with, and there is no crooked road that He cannot make straight.

Luke 3:5 'Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.'

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Don't stop short of your breakthrough. You could be closer than you think. It is easy to begin marching around our Jerichos, but it takes determination to keep on marching right until the end. It is interesting to note that there were six days of marching without anything happening. Then, on the seventh day, there were six rounds of marching with still nothing happening. Sometimes 'our 6 days' can seem awfully long. Are you prepared to continue obeying God even when you cannot see anything happening? That's why we need to walk by faith, not by sight. You walk with a picture in your heart, until it becomes reality. If your progress is not obvious right now, it doesn't mean that your faith is not working. Also, realise that during the process of marching God is preparing you for the promise. You are not marching in vain. There is a reason! God is preparing you for the promise. Then you will be ready to receive the promise and not mess it up. Because if you've been faithful during six rounds, then you will be faithful once the walls collapse. Many of us have promises from God that still need to be fulfilled. They are promises about our personal Promised Land. God is saying to you today: Push through to your Promised Land! Don't give up. Don't stop on round six. Your breakthrough is around the corner. You could be on round six now and not even know it. So, stay in faith and stay obedient.

Isaiah 1:19 (NKJV) - 'If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.'

Hebrews 10:35-36 (NIV) - 'So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.'When the people finally shouted, the massive walls collapsed, and Israel was victorious!

Be encouraged to keep marching faithfully and when the right moment comes the walls will surely collapse by the hand of God!

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Hebrews 13:8 (NKJV) - 'Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.'

He will do it again! He will do it for His people, He will do it for His church, and He will do it for you personally.B. Jericho was a symbol of great power and strength. People saw it as an invincible city! It was extremely well fortified. The walls were up to 25 feet high and 20 feet thick. The guards on the walls could see for miles. It seemed impossible for the Israelites to take the city. But with God impossible situations become possible; they don't intimidate God.C. Some misguided people have suggested that the footsteps of the Israelites, combined with the soundwaves of the trumpets and shouting caused the wall to collapse. But that is an outright lie. It was the supernatural intervention of the Almighty God! It was a sheer miracle. Many theologians believe that the walls descended into the ground like an elevator, and then the Israelites walked right over the top of the walls.    Excavations seem to support this claim. It's as though the walls were swallowed up by the earth.  Theologian Adam Clarke said: Both Jewish and Christian commentators have supposed that the ground under the foundation of the walls opened up, and the wall sunk into the chasm, so that there remained nothing but plain ground for the Israelites to walk over. As a result God's people could enter without any difficulty. Quite incredible! And that is what God can do for you. The key is that we should remain in faith and be obedient.  What are some walls that we might face? It could be financial hardship, fear of man, a wayward child, injustice at work, lack of breakthrough in our careers, etc. However, if we steadfastly believe what God has spoken, we will see the walls coming down and miracles happening!

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The context: Jericho was the first battle in possessing the Promised Land. This was the land of milk and honey that God had promised to Abraham over 500 years before. Now, Jericho was in lockdown. The inhabitants were scared of God's people, because they had heard about God's magnificent miracles - how He delivered them out of Egypt; brought them through the Red Sea; and how He brought them across the Jordan River, etc. The Canaanites were afraid of God's people. God's strategy seemed strange and even ridiculous to the natural mind. But it was a test of Israel's faith and their willingness to obey God.

Joshua 6:2 (NKJV) - And the LORD said to Joshua: 'See! I have given Jericho into your hand.'

Notice two things: 'See!' and 'I have given'.

'See!' In order to possess our promised land we need to see what God is seeing for our lives. We need to see with the eyes of faith. We need to have a picture in our hearts of what God is busy doing.

Hebrews 11:30 (NKJV) - 'By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days.'

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. I put it this way: Faith is seeing the picture in your heart, before you see it in reality.E. 'I have given Jericho into your hand.' Take note it is past tense. Before Joshua even lifted a finger, it was accomplished in God! Jericho was already delivered into his hands - the enemy was already defeated. That must have given Joshua great confidence. Do you realise that when God spoke to Joshua, He was actually giving him a promise? God loves to speak to us and give us promises for our future. Dr Myles Munroe used to say: When God gives you a promise, your future is created. So, when your current situation doesn't look like what God has promised, just keep believing God and He will change your situation. Because God keeps His promises. So let us 'see' beyond the walls and into the promise.

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Let's look at a Biblical story that vividly demonstrates the power of God.

Joshua 6:1-20 (NKJV) - Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. 2 And the LORD said to Joshua: 'See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valour. 3 You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. 4 And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.' 6 Then Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, 'Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD.' 7 And he said to the people, 'Proceed, and march around the city, and let him who is armed advance before the ark of the LORD.' 8 So it was, when Joshua had spoken to the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the LORD advanced and blew the trumpets, and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them. 9 The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets. 10 Now Joshua had commanded the people, saying, 'You shall not shout or make any noise with your voice, nor shall a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I say to you, 'Shout!' Then you shall shout.' 11 So he had the ark of the LORD circle the city, going around it once. Then they came into the camp and lodged in the camp.14 And the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. So they did six days. 15 But it came to pass on the seventh day that they rose early, about the dawning of the day, and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. On that day only they marched around the city seven times. 16 And the seventh time it happened, when the priests blew the trumpets, that Joshua said to the people: 'Shout, for the LORD has given you the city! 20 So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall FELL DOWN FLAT. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

I believe God has given us this story to teach us some important truths. I pray that we would grasp what the Lord wants to teach us.

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There is another song that tells us about this idea. The song is entitled: 'Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before!'

Every day with Jesus
Is sweeter than the day before
Every day with Jesus
I love Him more and more,
Jesus saves and keeps me
And He's the One I'm waiting for;
Every day with Jesus
Is sweeter than the day before.

With God in our lives, we can discover more and more about Him. Our relationship with the Lord is like a voyage of discovery, where each day brings with it a new perspective, a new vista, and a new appreciation. Our relationship with God can grow until we reach that sweetest moment of all when we will see Him face to face.

1 Corinthians 13:12 For now [in this time of imperfection] we see in a mirror dimly [a blurred reflection, a riddle, an enigma], but then [when the time of perfection comes, we will see reality] face to face. Now I know in part [just in fragments], but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known [by God].

OUR LIVES ARE BETTER WITH GOD!
Why would we walk the road of life alone, when we can walk it with the One Who loves and cares for us - the One Who made us. The Lord is our Good Shepherd, the Lord is our ever-present help in times of trouble. When trouble comes, He is our hope and strength. Each one of us is walking this road with our Saviour and He will show us the way we should go. In good times and in bad times, He is the One we need. Each day can be another day to follow Him in all we say and do. The adventure that is our walk of faith with God takes us from strength to strength and from glory to glory. And one day we will see Him face to face and know the One Who truly knows us and know the One Who has walked with us all the way, even when we did not realise it.

Psalm 23:6 'Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.'

Hebrews 12:2 'Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith!'

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Hope is such an essential ingredient in life. I recently heard a medical person speaking on a program about depression. He mentioned that at its root depression could be traced to a loss of hope. Hope is that ingredient that gets us up in the morning. Hope is far more than just a wish or a desire. Imagine, for a moment, that you are travelling on a ship. The ship begins to sink, and you realise that you are facing certain tragedy. Everyone wishes and desires to be saved from that situation, but that does not change anything. Then you hear that a passing ship is on its way to your stricken vessel. Suddenly you have hope in something beyond the horizon, something beyond yourself, that can step into a hopeless situation and rescue you. That is hope. For Christians, hope is a confident assurance deep within us and it is rooted in our expectation that God will do what He has promised and that we can depend on His faithfulness.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance (confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen.

Ultimately hope is something that comes from God and is planted in our hearts by Him.

Romans 15:13 'May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you will abound in hope and overflow with confidence in His promises.'

Finally hope is an anchor in our lives.

Hebrews 6:19 This hope [this confident assurance] we have as an anchor of the soul [it cannot slip, and it cannot break down under whatever pressure bears upon it] - a safe and steadfast hope that enters within the veil [of the heavenly temple, that most Holy Place in which the very presence of God dwells].

Hope connects us to God. Our lives are better with God because we can have real hope.

WITH GOD IN OUR LIVES, WE HAVE A HELPER.
There is a hymn with the following line: 'Oh God our help in ages past, our hope for years to come.' God is a Helper; His desire is to help us. Sooner or later we all need some help. One of the Names of God means helper. Eleazar means 'God is my Helper'. It comes from two Hebrew words - 'el', which means 'God' or 'all powerful', and 'ezer' which means 'help'. It is part of God's nature and character to extend help to us. The Lord wants to be your 'Eleazar'.

Psalm 46:1 'God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.'

Isaiah 41:10 'Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.'

Our lives are better with God in them because we have a Helper in Him, and He will help us

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Life requires so much of us. Have you ever thought about how much you have been through in the course of your life? Perhaps right now you are facing many challenges simultaneously. I sometimes wonder how individuals can face life with its joys and sadness, success and failure, and breakthrough, and hurdles, without God in their lives. At the end of the day, without God, who do you turn to, or what do you turn to.. The truth of the matter is that we need God in our lives. Perhaps we can do without Him when everything is going well, but when trouble comes, then we need Him like never before. In my personal life I have seen God work in wonderful ways and do wonderful things for me and through me, but I have also seen great challenges and struggles. I have concluded that my life is better with God in it. Knowing that God is with me allows me to enjoy the good times and make sense of the bad times. Knowing God is in our lives also gives us purpose and meaning, and ultimately it gives us the hope of life after our earthly existence. Even our ultimate enemy, death, makes sense when God is in the equation. My life is better with God in it and your life can also be better, knowing that He is a part of every aspect of your life, the good and the bad, the positive and the negative, and in the desperate and in the delightful.
- Life is better with God.

WITH GOD IN OUR LIVES, WE HAVE SOMEONE TO LOOK TO.
I had the honour of growing up in a Christian home with a good father. With him in our lives things always seemed to go well, even in tough times. When he died at 57, the challenges came in waves and seemed insurmountable. It sometimes amazes me the difference one person can make in our lives. In our earthly father we found someone we could look to for strength, courage, hope and vision. When we have God in our lives, we can discover that we have a Heavenly Father. We can look to our Heavenly Father for all that we may ever need in the course of life. We see this clearly illustrated in the life of Peter.

Matthew 14:29-30 Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. 'Save me, Lord!' he shouted.

As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he could achieve the impossible, walking on water, but when he shifted his focus to the circumstances, he sank. If we don't have God in our lives, what else do we have to look to, except the circumstances? If we are going to avoid sinking, we need to have someone bigger than ourselves and our circumstances to look to. You can look to the Lord today. He is able to do even more than you can ask or think.

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Sometimes we want to walk alone because we want to do things our way. I often watch how people run ahead of themselves, and of God, and do their own thing. Then they stop and want God to catch up to what they have done in their own strength. Then one day when their own plans fail, they look to the Lord for a solution. Perhaps we need to go back to that point where we ran ahead of God and did our own thing - we can meet Him there and resume our path with Him from that point. When we walk with God it means that we walk according to His plan, we make sure that we follow His instructions, and we do it His way. Walking with God does not mean that He does it our way. God's ways are always higher than our ways.

Isaiah 55:8-9 'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,' declares the Lord. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.'

The implication is that God does not fit into our box, but we can fit into His unlimited plans. I believe that God is calling out to each one of us and He says: 'Come, walk with Me!' Walking with God brings great reassurance into our lives, especially when we reach those points in the road where different paths intersect, or when we reach a T-junction or even a dead end. At that point, all we need to do is to turn to Him and ask Him: 'Which way are You going Lord, because I'm also going that way!' In this way we will not be distracted by other options, regardless of how attractive they may appear.

STAY IN STEP WITH GOD
Have you ever gone for a walk with someone who has not walked in step with you? Walking in this way can be very frustrating. I often used to go hiking. It was a great activity, to be out in nature and walk and discover new places and see new vistas. I soon discovered that there were usually three groups of people in every hiking party. The fast ones, the normal ones, and the slow ones. For the 'fast ones' it was a race (a competition) to complete the distance. Their only thought was to get to the destination in the shortest possible time. The 'normal ones' kept pace and enjoyed the experience en route to the destination. The 'slow ones' frustrated everyone else and had to be constantly coaxed and encouraged towards the end goal. I learned that hiking was a skill that had to be acquired so that I could keep pace and enjoy the journey. I learned to appreciate the journey more than the destination. When we walk with God the same principles apply. We must not run ahead of Him, we must not hesitate and delay following Him, we must stay in step with Him. It is here that we will find the journey is not too demanding or too frustrating, but it is a joy and a delight, and we can know that we have nothing to fear. One aspect I have found difficult is that sometimes we have to wait for God. He is never in a hurry and His timing is always impeccable. Human beings, on the other hand, are always in a hurry and want everything to happen now. The waiting may seem unproductive and a waste of time, but if we are waiting with Him, and in His presence, no time is ever lost.

WHY SHOULD WE WALK WITH GOD?
1. Because nothing is too difficult with God.

Jeremiah 32:17 'Oh, Lord GOD! You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for You!'

2. Because He will help you.

Isaiah 41:10 'So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.'

3. Because He will never abandon you.

Hebrews 13:5 For God has said, 'I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.'

4. Because He is with us no matter what we face.

Psalm 23:4 'Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me...'

5. Because your end will be glorious.

Genesis 5:24 'Enoch walked with God, and then he disappeared because God took him away.'

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Scripture Reading:  Genesis 5:24 'Enoch walked with God.'

DEVELOP A LIFESTYLE OF WALKING WITH GOD
We have this wonderful privilege that we do not need to 'do life' alone. Everything is not just up to us. We have a Heavenly Father Who loves and cares for us, and He wants to direct, lead, guide and watch our progress. If we look at this story in the book of Genesis, we see a man by the name of Enoch. Very little is actually known about this man, but what we do know tells us a lot about him.
We know that he walked with God - he enjoyed a living, daily, on-going relationship with the Lord.
There is nothing vague or questionable about how he lived his life, it is clear and unquestionable.
What we do know about this man called Enoch, tells us everything we need to know.
Imagine if people could say this about you: '......He/she walks with God!' It also tells us that this type of relationship with God is a real possibility in our lives. Walking with God should be a lifestyle choice on a daily basis. In all likelihood, Enoch developed this way of living over a period of time. In the end it could be said of him that 'walking with God' was his way of living. I believe that we can also develop this aspect of our lives.

DON'T WALK ALONE
The alternative to a lifestyle of walking with God is walking alone. Walking alone may seem like a good idea, but it is not how God designed us to live. When God created Adam in the Garden of Eden, He said: 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.' God knows that we need companionship and help. I believe we need this on a physical level (with our spouse, friends, and family) but we also need it on a spiritual level (with God). I remember talking to a certain lady years ago. She had had a difficult life. Her father had died suddenly when she was 7 years old and her mother had struggled to raise this large family of about 7 children. It was years later that she married and was unable to have children of her own. Then she lost her own husband at a young age. I remember asking her how she had managed and I will never forget her answer. She said: 'Oh you don't have to worry about me, I have broad shoulders!' Somehow her answer was not comforting. Her answer left me feeling even more sorry for her that she had had to struggle through all these challenges and carry them all on her own shoulders, in her own strength and in her own ability. Perhaps people have let you down and so you prefer to walk alone without their help. But God will never let you down and you can always walk with Him. Don't walk alone, be like Enoch and walk with God.

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When we praise the Lord, we shift our focus off our issues and onto His greatness and majesty. There is another great song we used to sing and the words are as follows: 'Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of the earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.' So, praise is powerful because it shifts our focus onto the Lord. The Bible also tells us that God inhabits the praises of His people.

Psalm 22:3 'You are holy, You Who inhabit the praises of Israel.'

The implication is that when we praise God, He is with us. To understand this, we can imagine a picture of someone who pauses to be with us, to sit with us and to dwell with us, while we are praising. So, praise is powerful because it changes the dynamic of our relationship with the Lord. Another wonderful aspect is that as we praise the Lord, it changes the atmosphere and creates an environment for miracles and breakthrough.

2 Chronicles 20:22 'As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.'

This scripture is part of a great story of victory. As the people praised the Lord, the Lord intervened and brought about a victory in their physical situation. Praise changed their circumstances. Praise is a powerful tool, and we need to start using it more.

START PRAISING THE LORD
This calls for a quality decision that we will not sit around moaning, murmuring, criticizing, and complaining, but we will lift up our eyes and look to the Lord for our fulfillment, joy, strength, and hope. We can start praising the Lord as we remind ourselves of His greatness, His ability and His great loving-kindness and mercy. Many of the Psalms speak of the wonders of God, and we can begin to focus on these wonders and on His faithful character and never-ending love. The next way in which we can begin to praise Him is to be thankful. There is always something to be thankful for. Identify a few things that you have that you are thankful for and begin to thank and praise God for those things. Over time we can develop a lifestyle of praise. We can break the habit of negativity and learn to become people who praise God from our hearts. Praise is a powerful tool and with it we can expect great changes in our hearts, in our minds and in our situations. Today is a wonderful day to start praising the Lord.

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Hope is that essential ingredient to a life of purpose and joy. Without hope, we give in to despair and hopelessness. With hope, we have an expectation of good to come. Our hope in God is an anchor for our very souls.

Hebrews 6:18-19 'So God has given both His promise and His oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to Him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary.'

We can have confidence because of God's faithfulness. We need to run into the arms of the Lord and make Him our refuge in the storms of life. It is in this place of connectedness with God that we can enjoy GREAT confidence. We need to hold on to the hope we have in God, like our lives depend on it. In the same way that a survivor of a shipwreck would hold onto the lifebelt with all his might, we must hold onto the Lord. The Bible tells us that hope in God is an anchor for our souls. The interesting thing is that this anchor of hope connects us to God and to the eternal dimension. God is the source of all hope, and when we are connected to Him, we can have hope in our hearts.

DO NOT GIVE IN TO FEAR
Years ago we used to sing a song and the words went like this: 'When you feel the urge within you, to submit to earthly fears, don't let the faith you're standing in, seem to disappear. Praise the Lord.' I have thought about these words a lot lately. I am not sure under what circumstances these words were penned, but the author obviously knew the struggle with fear. He speaks about 'feeling the urge'. Perhaps this is something we should become aware of. We should recognize the moment that fear lifts its ugly head in our lives and that is the time to react in our hearts. We cannot wait for fear to take root before we stop it. We need to stop it in its tracks and deal with it boldly. The words go on and speak about 'submitting to earthly fears.' I do believe that there is a choice to embrace fear, and in effect, submit to it, or reject it in our lives. Perhaps you have been feeling the urge within you to submit to earthly fears? Then it is time to stand up, take hold of your faith and choose not to go down that path, but rather to hold onto your hope and confidence in God, and begin to praise Him.

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We live in a world where there is so much going on. There is economic uncertainty, health uncertainty and political uncertainty, as well as so many other uncertainties that can overwhelm a person's heart and mind. Some of these things we can do something about, but many of these issues are beyond our control. What becomes vital is what we focus on. It reminds me a lot of the story of Peter who walked on the water. As long as he kept his eyes on Jesus he could walk on the water. But the moment he started looking at the wind and the waves, he began to sink. As you and I focus our attention on the Lord, He will enable us to make progress even in the storms. But if we start to focus on the problems and issues we face, as individuals, or in our particular nation, or even on a global scale, it will pull us down into the depths of despair. One of the greatest tools we have is praise. When we start to praise the Lord, we take a leap into another dimension, a dimension that opens the way to hope and confidence, even if the challenges seem tough.

THE CHALLENGES OF OUR DAY
We are alive at a time when the challenges are unlike anything we have seen before. This has the potential of destabilizing our confidence and trust. As I sit here and think about these challenges, I can identify a few.

1. Too much information. We are bombarded with information on every side.
2. Misinformation. Much of the information we are exposed to is unverified and we often do not know the origin or the truth about the matter.
3. Uncertainty. Uncertainty has become a normal part of life. We are not sure what will happen, if it will happen, and if it would ever have happened.
4. Fear. The upshot of these challenges is that fear becomes a battleground, in our hearts and in our minds.

When all this happens, we have two choices:

1. We can be overwhelmed and consumed with all these things. This often leads to the development of a critical spirit or even a cynical mentality. We can end up feeling distressed, angry, and frustrated.
2. We can lift up our eyes and focus on something different. As we are surrounded by the storms, the wind, and the waves, we can lift up our eyes, take our focus off all that surrounds us and start to look to the Lord. He, after all, never changes and promises to never leave us nor forsake us.

As we begin to use the weapon of praise, we can make this shift and, in the process, free ourselves of many burdens and weights.

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There is something so amazing about fresh water. I have had the privilege of going to the mountains for a holiday. The resort was on the banks of a river that found its source in the same mountains. The water is clean and fresh and almost living. You can drink it straight out of the river. I love to watch this sparkling water tumble over the rocks and make its way down the river course. I have also spent time next to a dam, where stagnant, green, and lifeless water stands. This is a picture of what God wants to give us in our lives - living water.

John 4:10 Jesus replied, 'If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.'

John 7:38 'Whoever believes in Me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.'

So receive His Living Water and may it flow from within you.

A HELPER
We all need a helper from time to time. A helper is someone who comes alongside us to lift the load and assist us where needed. This is a gift that God wants to give to us.

John 14:16 'And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor-Counsellor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever.'

Right now, just take a moment and think about the areas in which you need help. Do you believe that the Lord will/can meet that need? So receive the Helper and the help that He gives you.

GOOD AND PERFECT GIFTS

James 1:17 'Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.'

I believe that God has many different and varied gifts that He wants to give us. The things He wants to give us are always good and perfect. He knows what we need, and He wants to meet those needs with His divine gifts. So receive the gifts He has for you. May you know His goodness, His tender mercies and His faithfulness and loving-kindness.

They say that the best things in life are free. I believe there are many more things that God wants to make available to us, but if we could just take hold of some of these and make them our own, I believe our lives would be different and fuller, because of all that He has provided.

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When we are facing hard times, we can even begin to think and feel that God has abandoned us. Nothing could be further from the truth. Years ago I read a poem called 'Footprints'.

FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND
One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking on the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life, For each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonging to him, and the other to the Lord.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of life there was only one set of footprints. He noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.
This really bothered him and he questioned the LORD about it: 'Lord, you said that once I decided to follow You, You'd walk with me all the way. But I noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me.'
The Lord Replied: 'My son, my precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.' Author: Carolyn Joyce Carty

Psalm 27:5 'For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.'

This is what the Lord promises to do for us when we are facing hard times: He will keep you safe, He will hide you, He will be close to you, and ultimately, He will turn the situation around and help you stand, sure and secure.

BREAKTHROUGH IS OUR DESTINATION
Years ago I heard someone say: 'Tough times don't last but tough people do!' This statement may not be Biblical, but it does remind us that tough times do have an expiry date. Perhaps we could say: 'Tough/hard/dark times don't last, but our God is eternal and He will turn things around!'

Isaiah 35:4 Say to those with anxious hearts: 'Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance. With divine retribution He will come to save you.'

There comes a time when God steps in and changes things. Remember how the people of Israel were in slavery and bondage in Egypt. This dark period lasted for about 400 years. But the day came when God intervened and they were brought out of bondage and slavery. When they crossed the parted sea, they could rejoice and sing. This is the song they sang: 'I will sing to the LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider He has thrown into the sea.' I promise you that you will sing again, your heart will beat again, once again you will rejoice and celebrate, when you see the breakthrough that God will bring for you.

KEYS TO TRUSTING GOD DURING THE HARD TIMES
1. Prayer has proved to be a lifeline in my life, especially when going through difficult times. Prayer has the power of shifting our focus off our situation and onto our God. Our God is mighty, powerful, able, and faithful. I have found prayer especially beneficial when I started praying for others. When I shift my focus off myself and my situation, and begin to pray for others, in their distress, it brings perspective and shifts my attention onto others and their needs.

2. Do the possible and leave the impossible to God. Sometimes we think that we are responsible to do the impossible. Let me just release you of that weight. God is responsible for the impossible and we are asked to do what is within our ability to do.

3. Releasing the weight of things to the Lord. Let go of things. Hundreds of years ago, Martin Luther wrote a great hymn: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God. In the last verse he wrote these words: 'Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; the body they may kill, God truth abideth still, His Kingdom is forever.'
The message of these words is that we should not hold too tightly to our possessions, our family, our friends, or to life itself - we should hold tightly to God and the eternal dimension.

4. Find someone, a trusted friend, who you can talk too, or pray with.

5. Keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Isaiah 50:10 'If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the LORD and rely on your God.'

Sometimes when we face darkness or hard times, we may think it is better to wait it out, or 'sit tight' until things change - NO, we must keep walking, even when there is no ray of hope. My wife used to sing a little line when things were going rough in our lives or in the lives of our children: 'Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...'

6. Choose belief over fear. "Do it afraid!" Believe...

7. Remember, You are not alone.

Jeremiah 16:19 'LORD, you are my strength and fortress, my refuge in the day of trouble!'

NOTE: 'To trust God in the light is nothing, but to trust Him in the dark - that is faith.' - C.H. Spurgeon

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When we go through hard times, it can feel like trouble is all we have known our entire lives. It may even feel like it will never end. I remember when my late wife was diagnosed with cancer. The shock and horror that befell us as a family was inconceivable and unimaginable. She was sick for a period of twenty months, before the Lord called her home. Those twenty months felt like an eternity. Even within those 'never-ending' months, there were moments of joy and delight with some precious memories. I remember, shortly before she died, she said to me that something had to turn soon. She told me that either the Lord would heal her shortly, or He would come and fetch her soon. Moments after her passing, as I stood around her bed with my daughters, my one daughter spoke up and said: 'Dad, its over! The battle with cancer is finished!' I looked up into her eyes and realised that it was. In one moment, what felt like an eternal battle, ended. It did not end in the way we had hoped, but it had ended and a new season had begun. In that new season we would find new joy, new hope, and new faith.

Psalm 50:15 'Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honour Me.'

Every hardship, every trial, every battle, has its own expiry date.

THE JOURNEY THROUGH HARD TIMES
One of the things that many good people hope for is what I would like to call 'instant relief'. After all, the Bible tells us to call on the Lord and He will deliver us. I have discovered that moving from the valley to the mountain top, is not instantaneous, but it is a journey. We must not camp, or set up house, in the valley of hard times, but we must move through it.

Isaiah 43:2 'When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.'

Look at the words in this verse: 'go through deep waters', 'go through rivers of difficulty', and 'walk through the fire'. I suppose we would all like an escape route. A quick exit and a short cut, but the value lies in the journey. As a young man I did a bit of hiking. I enjoyed these moments with some good friends. One day we hiked the Fish River Canyon in Namibia. It was a gruelling five-day hike through some very tough terrain. Once you were dropped off at the start, and had descended into the canyon, there was no way back. At the start of day two there was one escape route. It was a monumental task to make your way out that way, but it could be done and then you would find yourself in the middle of a desert, but you could walk the 80km's back on the isolated road. But the purpose of the hike was not to escape, but to make the journey. As we walked, we faced huge boulders, fine sand, extreme heat, cold nights, little water, and blisters. I asked myself over and over again why I was doing this voluntarily. But at the end of day five, we arrived back, triumphant, happy and with lots to talk about and many stories to tell our friends and family. The hard time had been a journey, by somehow, we were better off for it!

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HARD TIMES ARE PART OF LIFE
Just as the good, happy, and joyous times of life are part of life, so are the difficult, hard, and dark times. The life of Jesus is an example of this. He had a remarkable season of ministry, and many people were healed and restored. BUT the true value of His coming to earth is found in the difficult and hard times He faced, the false accusations, the cruel punishment, and the death that He endured, give us the hope and faith we have. The truth of that matter is that no one is exempt from troubles and challenges during the course of life. Although when we are facing hard times, it may appear as if everyone else is doing just fine, this is not the case. The Bible speaks about 'when trouble comes' not 'if trouble comes'.

Nahum 1:7 'The LORD is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in Him.'

The wonderful thing that we can know during hard times is that the Lord is with us. He has not abandoned us and He offers us Himself as a refuge, and He undertakes to be close to us as we trust Him while passing through the valley.

HARD TIMES DON'T ALWAYS MEAN WE HAVE DONE SOMETHING WRONG
Sometimes we can mistakenly attribute the hardship we are facing to something we may have done wrong. Although wrong-doing has its own consequences, seasons of difficulty are not necessarily the result. As Christians we may believe that we have moved out of darkness and into light, and this is true. The darkness of sin has been lifted, but the process of life is still something we face. It is possible to do all the right things and know the favour and blessing of God on our lives, and still go through hard times, through no fault of our own, but due to the nature of life itself. I am reminded of Jesus' own disciples. He sent them by boat across the sea and on route to their destination, they faced a storm of note. They were actually in the perfect will of God, and yet faced this major challenge.

Isaiah 50:10 'Who among you fears the LORD and obeys his servant? If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the LORD and rely on your God.'

You may be a child of God and yet you find yourself walking in darkness, without a ray of hope. In these seasons of our lives, we need to believe in His goodness, and trust in, and rely on Him, like never before.

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Mary has now made a complete turnaround. She has moved from doubt and fear to acceptance, from acceptance she has move to a place of conviction and now she moves to a place of believing. It is almost as if it comes as a relief and a release, as she steps over into another realm, the realm of believing. Elizabeth says these words to Mary: ''Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfil His promises to her!'' Perhaps Elizabeth could see the shift taking place in her cousin, Mary? Perhaps the revelation and the reality had suddenly dawned on Mary and it showed? Once she got to this place of believing, everything changed. Her demeanor changed, her attitude changed, and I believe even her countenance changed and she starts worshipping God. 

Luke 1:46-47 And Mary said (responded), 'My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.'

In some translations it says that Mary began to sing, and this song is called the Magnificat. Magnificat is a Latin word which means: 'An utterance of praise!' or 'to magnify!' So, Mary suddenly sees things as they really are. She has moved from the: 'How will this happen?' to bursting into song because she believes and realises just how great God is. 

Luke 1:46-47 And Mary sang this song: ''My soul is ecstatic, overflowing with praises to God! My spirit bursts with joy over my life-giving God!'' (TPT) 

In that very moment, her soul and her spirit recognised her Lord and her God. This believing came from deep within her soul and her spirit and it was not simply a mental decision. It was far more than that, it was believing, in the fullest sense of the word. When we receive what God has done for us, and the wonders of His love in sending Jesus to be our Saviour, and when we believe it for ourselves, we will jump for joy and sing with hearts that are filled with hope. This Christmas, may you go from doubt to believing and may your faith in God, lift you up and flood your heart and soul with LIGHT!

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The next thing we see is how Mary moves past her doubts, misgivings, and fears, and accepts what God is telling her through the angel.

Luke 1:38 ''I am the Lord's servant,'' Mary answered. ''May your word to me be fulfilled.'' Then the angel left her.

Mary moved from doubt to acceptance. The result was that the angel, who was constantly trying to reassure her, had completed his task, and he left her. Her answer reveals to us the shift that was taking place in this young girl's heart.  Perhaps, she was not persuaded yet, but she knew enough about God to give Him the benefit of the doubt.  She did not fully understand, she was not fully convinced, but she chose to make a declaration of intent. In the process she aligned her heart with what she hoped could be a reality.  In our own walk of faith, we have to also get to this point, where we move past doubt and then align our hearts with the promises of God, and His love and plans for our lives. It was, in fact, an act of surrender to the will of God, despite the lack of persuasion in her own heart.  Perhaps you have lived your life in the 'doorway of doub'? It is now time to move past this point to the point where you place your confidence in God, regardless of how you feel or perceive things to be! It is a vital step in the process of moving from doubt to believing.

FROM ACCEPTANCE TO CONVICTION

Luke 1:39-43 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: ''Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favoured, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?''

Now Mary meets up with her cousin, Elizabeth and it would be a significant meeting, where something supernatural would take place. Elizabeth reacts in a very strange way, as her unborn child jumps in her womb and she is filled with the Holy Spirit.  In one moment, this unlikely person, Elizabeth, a relative, sees in Mary what she cannot as yet see in herself.  Elizabeth and her unborn child are physically affected by Mary's presence. This strange experience flicked the switch in Mary's heart, and she moved from acceptance to conviction. It was as if Elizabeth's reaction was the confirmation and validation that her faith needed to be able to fully embrace God's wonderful plan for her. Sometimes other people can see more clearly what is taking place in our lives than what we can see for ourselves. God can use anything and anyone to come and reaffirm things in our hearts, so that we can move from acceptance to conviction. When we are convicted about something, we have a strong persuasion, and we are convinced that something is true. The Lord wants the 'wonders of His love' towards you to become something that you are persuaded about, something you are convinced is true. Maybe today, as you read these notes, the penny can drop, and you can realise fully and believe that God loves you and has a plan for you and wants you to receive His gift of salvation and eternal life? My prayer is that you will know 'the wonders of His love' for you, as a settled matter, that your season of doubt or tacit acceptance will end and you will move into the reality of His love for you. May you be convinced and convicted of the wonders of His love for you.

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This is the time of the year when we remember and celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. It is truly the most wonderful time of the year. For a brief moment, we can put the year behind us and look forward to the hope we have in the Lord. When He came, as a child to Bethlehem, He came so that you and I could experience the wonders of God's love towards humanity and towards you as an individual. The Christmas story is a story of salvation, and how God's love came to rescue, save, and deliver all of mankind. One of the very first aspects of the Christmas story was when the angel came to Mary and told her about what was about to happen. If we look at the life of Mary we can see how she moved from a place of doubt, to a place of complete confidence in God. It is a picture of salvation for each one of us. May the wonders of His love, move you from a place of doubt and fear, to a place where you can believe in God and His great mercy towards you.

DOUBT - THE ULTIMATE HINDERANCE!
In the book of Acts chapter 1, we see the story of how the angel came and visited Mary and told her about the great things that were about to happen.

Luke 1:28-33 The angel went to her and said, ''Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.'' Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, ''Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; His kingdom will never end.''

Just having an angelic being visit must have been an awesome experience, but then to be told that you were chosen and that these great things would happen through you, a young girl, must have been daunting. Mary's initial reaction was so typical of all of humanity. Firstly, she was troubled, confused, disturbed and fearful. In the same breath, when we hear about the wonders of His love for us, as individuals, and His gift of salvation and eternal life, we too can have questions, concerns, hesitations and even fears. Then Mary appears to move into the arena of doubt.

Luke 1:34 Mary asked the angel, ''But how can this happen? I am a virgin.''

She begins to realise that this cannot happen, and she questions the angel and gives him reason for her position. The angel graciously confirmed how things would happen and addressed Mary's doubts. Doubt has the potential of undermining our faith and robbing us of the potential blessing that God has prepared for us. Doubt is the start of a downward spiral. Doubt causes us to shift our focus from what is promised and it is the first step towards fear. Fear has a way of paralysing us and it stops us from experiencing all that God has prepared for us. We can doubt, but only for a moment and then we must move in the direction of believing. We should doubt out doubts and believe.

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Psalm 144:7  Reach down Your hand from on high; deliver me and rescue me from the mighty waters!

Mighty Waters  represents a deep place of challenge and difficulty. I am not sure what  Mighty Waters  you are facing today, but I know one thing for sure, that place is NOT beyond the reach of His mighty hand.

Exodus 13:14  With the power of His mighty hand, the LORD brought us out of Egypt, the place of our slavery.

The Lord did not expect the people of Israel to rescue themselves. In fact, they were so broken and devastated, after years of struggle and abuse, that they could not help themselves. Then, God in His mercy, reached down, with His mighty hand, and He lifted them up from the lowest and the most desperate place. He will do the same for you.

Psalm 40:2  He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

Romans 5:6  When we were utterly helpless (powerless), Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.

When we reach that place where our strength is utterly exhausted, our hope is totally dashed, and all our efforts have left us exhausted and drained, then the Lord, and His mighty hand comes, to that very place in which we find ourselves, and He becomes the strength that we need. His hand reaches down to us and lifts us up, rescues and delivers us, and restores a spark of hope deep within our hearts.

THERE IS NOTHING MORE POWERFUL THAN THE MIGHTY HAND OF GOD.

Exodus 13:3 Then Moses said to the people,  Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, because the LORD brought you out of it with a mighty hand.

Egypt was the world's power of its day. It was the most powerful force on earth at that time. It held sway over the affairs of humanity, and the people of Israel were held within its, seemingly, all-powerful grip. The Pharaoh ruled with a rod of iron and whatever he said was law and truth. It was truly an impossible situation, BUT for the mighty hand of the Living God. There are many things that have the potential to hold us in bondage and to hold us ransom, but there is One Who is greater and more powerful than anything else. His hand can break the hold of anything that is trying to hold you hostage or even trying to throttle the life out of you. Look away from the things that seek to destroy, look to Him and His mighty hand. There is nothing too difficult for the Lord and nothing that His mighty hand cannot do or accomplish on our behalf. As you look at what you are facing, always look at it from the perspective of His mighty hand, and rest in His ability and plan.

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When we are facing challenges, or hard times, it can often feel like God has abandoned or deserted us. It can feel lonely, when things do not seem to be working out like we had hoped or expected. When our path does not take us straight to the destination, we had seen in our mind s eye, its easy to get discouraged. When our brokenness and despair seems without purpose or end, we may be tempted to take our eye off the goal, and choose to look at the waves, that seem to have the power to overwhelm us. However, the truth of the matter is that the Lord is with you. His hand remains a mighty hand. He remains mighty to save, mighty to deliver, and mighty to bring about breakthrough and deliverance. The mighty hand of the Lord is with you today!

SCRIPTURE READING:
Exodus 13:9  For the LORD brought you out of Egypt with His mighty hand.

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE MIGHTY HAND OF GOD IN YOUR LIFE.
In Exodus 13, Moses repeatedly reminds the people of the mighty hand of the Lord, that was part of their lives, and this included their past, their present and their future. Oh, to know that the mighty hand of the Lord is with you, is surely the greatest comfort any human being can know. When we begin to imagine a future without the Lord and His mighty hand in our lives, it brings fear, dread, anxiety, and hopelessness. When we contemplate a future, with the full knowledge that He, together with His mighty hand, will accompany us, we can be bold, determined, fearless, and secure. When we remind ourselves of the strength of His mighty hand, and the fact that His hand is with us, we can be filled with positivity and hope. To underestimate something means to estimate it as being unable to deliver what it has promised. When we underestimate something, we estimate it to be smaller or less important, or less able to deliver, on our expectations. Begin to remind yourself that God is great and powerful, and remind yourself that His mighty hand is in fact MIGHTY BEYOND WORDS and reaches beyond all the limitations of life, and our opinions.

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The Lord wants to touch and use each of our lives in a special and wonderful way. It is said that God loves us just as we are, but He loves us too much just to leave us the way we are. He wants to intersect our lives with His presence, and to speak comfort, encourage, bring hope, give direction, provide reassurance, help us, and supply vision to our lives. He wants to show us which way to go and which path to take. He wants to remind us of His greatness, and His great love for us.

Exodus 19:3 (TLB) Moses climbed the rugged mountain to meet with God, and from somewhere in the mountain God called to him and said, ‘Give these instructions to the people of Israel.’

Notice that Moses climbed the mountain. He made an effort, to get to God, and the Lord was already there, calling him. Then Moses received his purpose and the vision and instructions from the Lord. Moses relayed what He had received to the people, and they received it.

Exodus 19:8They all responded in unison, “We will certainly do everything He asks of us.” Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.

The purpose of his meeting with God was to listen and to hear. It resulted in a unity of heart and purpose. It was not an opportunity for an alternative agenda or selfish ambition. We meet with the Lord in order to encounter, experience, and receive from Him. 

MEETING WITH GOD REQUIRES SOMETHING OF US.
Before this meeting could take place, Moses and the people had to prepare themselves. The people had to prepare themselves for meeting with God. Their hands, their hearts and their clothes had to be clean. They had to be ready, and once they were ready that could go out with confidence and awe, to see, listen, and hear.

Exodus 19:17 ‘Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.’

We have to consecrate ourselves. We have to make sure that there is nothing that is standing in the way of our relationship with the Lord. We have to deal with all the ‘dirt’ or sin in our lives so that we can approach the Lord with no hindrances or blockages. Sometimes people will tell me that it feels like their prayers are bouncing off the ceiling. Perhaps this is because there is still some un-dealt with issue, or there is still some un-surrendered aspect of their lives that needs to be turned over to God, so that there can be a clear channel between us and the Lord. This is what is required of us, so that nothing stands between us and the Lord. Do not let there be any unfinished business in your life. Don’t allow there to be any ‘no-go zones’ in your life. Surrender it all to Him, repent of that which needs to be repented of, set aside time to be alone with the Lord, and get ready to meet with Him.

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MEETING WITH GOD IS OUR JOY AND PRIVILEGE.
What a joy it is to know that we can have a relationship with the Lord. In that relationship, we can talk to Him (prayer) and He can speak to us. We can spend time together with our Saviour and know and feel His presence in our lives. In Exodus 19, we see how Moses would have regular interaction and he would meet with God. Moses would speak to Him, and He would speak to Moses. It was during these times that the Lord handed down His instructions and plans to Moses, and through him, to the nation of Israel. Because of what Christ has done, we too can have a relationship with the Lord. The way has been opened, the veil has been torn and we can enter in and have fellowship with the Lord.

Exodus 19:3 (TLB) ‘Moses climbed the rugged mountain to meet with God…’

I love the phrase: ‘To meet with God!’ As you read these notes, may you discover the joy and privilege of meeting with Him! 

GOD DESIRES TO MEET WITH US EVEN MORE THAN WE DESIRE TO MEET WITH HIM!
Man was created by the Lord to have relationship and fellowship with Him. We were created to bring glory to God and to enjoy Him forever. We were also created to ‘enjoy Him forever’ and this speaks of an ongoing relationship. God’s love for us and His desire for relationship with us, precedes our love and desire for relationship with Him.

1 John 4:19‘We love Him because He first loved us.’

God stepped out into creation and created man, and the whole purpose was fellowship, interaction, and relationship, based on love.

1 John 4:10‘And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.’

When Moses went up the mountain to meet with God, the Lord was already there, waiting for him.

Exodus 19:3 (TLB) ‘Moses climbed the rugged mountain to meet with God, and from somewhere in the mountain God called to him…’

I believe that God is calling to you today. He is saying: ‘Come up here, I want to spend time with you, I want to know you and be known by you!’

Exodus 19:4 (TLB) ‘You have seen… how I brought you to Myself as though on eagles’ wings.’

He is drawing you today, to Himself, so that you can know a living, vital, relationship with Him. Do not hold back, go up and meet with Him for yourself! 

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If you are facing impossible circumstances and you have run out of solutions, what can you do?

Exodus 14:13 Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again.

1. DON’T BE AFRAID.
Again, and again, in the Bible we are advised to not be afraid. You see Moses told the people to not be afraid. The Lord wants to tell you the same thing today: ‘Don’t be afraid!’

Matthew 28:20 ‘And be sure of this: I am with you always!’

2. STAND FIRM.
If you are facing impossible obstacles, then its time to stand firm in our faith and confidence in the Lord. Do the possible and leave the impossible to God.

3. WATCH AND PRAY.
Be alert! Do not become complacent, anxious, or discouraged, be on the lookout for a breakthrough.

4. LET THE LORD FIGHT FOR YOU.
Do not try and do everything in your own strength. There are some things that only He can do.

5. DO WHAT HE TELLS YOU TO DO.

Exodus 15:25 ‘…the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink.’

Obey what the Lord tells you to do. It may be as simple as making a phone call He prompts you to make, or submitting your CV just one more time…

6. HE WILL BRING YOU TO A GOOD PLACE.

Exodus 15:27 ‘Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water.’

In the end He brought them through all the challenges and troubles, and they end up at a place with 12 springs. Just one spring may have been enough, but there were 12. He did not just provide one with perhaps one extra one as a backup… Now He provides them with 12. In addition there were 70 Palm trees. Not just one, or just a few, but seventy. It a picture of provision and plenty. Let us pass the tests and trust the Lord to do the impossible things and bring us to a place of provision and protection. Years ago, we used to sing a song entitled ‘HE GIVETH MORE GRACE’. Here are the words:

‘When we have exhausted our store of endurance
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father's full giving is only begun!’

No matter how difficult or hopeless things may look, remember, that His giving is only just beginning, and He can do impossible things. Take heart and trust Him to do just that.

Ephesians 3:20 ‘Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.’

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Doing impossible things is just what God specializes in. Another song we sing at church is a song entitled: ‘IMPOSSIBLE THINGS’. Here are the words:

‘One Word, and the walls start falling
One Word, and the blind will see
One Word, and the sinner's forgiven
Because You do impossible, impossible things!’

We need to start to look for and believe in impossible things. When the nation of Israel had reached the end of the road and the enemy was about to pounce and destroy them, God stepped in and did the most impossible thing. This is what happened: The cloud that had been in front of them began to move... (Can you even imagine seeing this?) It moved from in front of them to behind them and blocked the enemy from getting access to them. Then it even went to another level. It caused light to shine on the one side, for the people of God, and darkness to surround the enemy. The enemy was kept at bay and no one disturbed the other all night.

Exodus 14:19-20 ‘Then the angel of God, who had been travelling in front of Israel's army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.’

It was like the Lord moved heaven and earth to protect and make a way for His people! We should do the possible and let God do the impossible for us. If you are facing an impossible situation, then turn to the Lord and ask Him to move in your situation and bring about the impossible for you.

HE CAN TURN THINGS AROUND 
Turning things around is also the Lord’s speciality. Just think how humanity was lost in sin, He sent His Son so that things could be turned around and humanity could be reconciled to God and know eternal life. It is in the very character of God to step into our world and turn things around for good. In the exodus story this kind of thing happened in a very practical way. The nation arrived at an oasis and the water was bitter. The water was so bitter that it could not be used for human consumption. But God stepped into the situation, performed a miracle, and turned things around. He took bitter, useless water and turned it into sweet, usable water and everyone, including the animals were blessed and provided for.

Exodus 15:23 + 25 ‘When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink.’

It is interesting to note that it did not happen all by itself, but it was in response to the actions and obedience of Moses.

1. Moses cried out to the Lord. He called out in desperation and He turned to God for help, because there was nothing that he could do about the situation, and yet the Lord had brought them to the point.
2. The Lord showed Moses a piece of wood and told him to throw it in the water. The Lord may well show you something, something you need to do. It may even seem like a stupid thing, but if God is in it, it can be the source of the miracle.
3. Moses obey. He took the piece of wood that God had showed him and did what the Lord had told him to do. He threw it in the water. That must have been a real act of faith because Moses must have known for certain that that action would not, in itself, make any difference. But he did it.

God did the rest and turn the situation around, turning bitter water into sweet water. He can do the same for you.

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As you read the story of the exodus (of the Israelites) from bondage and slavery in Egypt, to their eventual arrival in the Promised Land, we see a series of miracles, performed by the Lord on their behalf. Often, they would find themselves in situations where there was no possible solution but for God to intervene. We are living at a time in the world where many people find themselves in a similar situation. People find themselves facing challenges that need divine intervention.
They have tried everything they can try; they have used up all their resources, and they are up against a wall, needing God to make a way. Well, I am here to encourage you and to remind you that HE (the Lord) can do impossible things. It was the great preacher, Billy Graham who said: ‘When we come to the end of ourselves, we come to the beginning of God.’ If you find yourself at that place where only a miracle from God will be an answer, then these notes are something that will encourage you. Read on!

GOD IS FIGHTING FOR YOU 
There is a great song that we regularly sing at our church. It is called: ‘God is fighting for us!’ The song reaches a crescendo and then this refrain is sung:

‘God is fighting for us
Pushing back the darkness
Lighting up the Kingdom
That cannot be shaken
In the Name of Jesus
Enemy's defeated
And we will shout it out
Shout it out!’

I believe that God is fighting for us and He is fighting for you. In the story of the exodus, when the people of God were caught between a rock and hard place with nowhere to turn, HE stepped in and started fighting for them:

Exodus 14:25 He twisted their chariot wheels, making their chariots difficult to drive. “Let’s get out of here—away from these Israelites!” the Egyptians shouted. “The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt!”

Eventually, even their enemies had to realise that the Lord was fighting for His people and they realised that they stood no chance of success and they turned and fled. You do not need to be shaken and you do not need to be moved, because your God is with you. The Lord is on your side and He wants to bring you into a place of victory.

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We have to constantly remind ourselves of what we are fighting against. We often direct our defence against other individuals. The question is how does God see it?

Ephesians 6:12 ‘For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.’

When we grasp this aspect, it can bring us great freedom and release.

Psalm 138:7 ‘Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies.’

Please note that it says that God will stretch out His hand against the wrath of the enemies and not against the enemies themselves. Your fight is not against flesh and blood! Remember this.

GOD WANTS TO SAVE US!
God wants to step into our lives and save us from those things that would seek to destroy us. God does not want to see us destroyed.

Psalm 138:7 ‘Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me.’

Psalm 23:4 ‘Even when walking through the dark valley of death I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me, guarding, guiding all the way.’

This is God’s plan and purpose. Claim this as a promise for your life – take hold of it!

LET GO AND LET GOD!
God is at work in each of our lives. He is using the things we are facing or going through to work on various aspects of our lives. Firstly, let me remind you that God has not forgotten you. No matter how you may be feeling – God is there for you!

Psalm 138:6 ‘Though the Lord is on high, yet He regards the lowly.’

He knows what you are facing, and He is aware of what you are going through, even those things deep within your heart. God wants to bring those things that He is working on in our lives to a point of completion and perfection. God does not want you to battle with the same thing on and on.

Psalm 138:8 ‘The Lord will work out His plans for my life!’ (LBT)

Psalm 138:8 ‘The Lord will perfect that which concerns me!’ (NKJV)

The question is, can we find the courage, to rest in His faithfulness, knowing that no matter what happens, He will be faithful? Let go and let God!

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Life is a walk! Our Christian lives are a FAITH WALK. John Bunyan wrote the book entitled PILGRIM’S PROGRESS. This is a novel about the progress of the life of a Christian Pilgrim and all the stages and things that must be walked through.

Psalm 138:7 ‘Though I walk in the midst of trouble…’

The issue is that when we are facing times of trouble, we must keep walking. Then it is not the time to stop, lie down and die or give-up. Trouble is not a place at which we set up camp. Trouble is a period that we must move through! We must keep walking! The Bible tells us that we are in a fight and we must fight on!

1 Timothy 6:12 ‘Fight the good fight of the faith.’

We must have a ‘WE WILL NEVER SURRENDER’ attitude.

REVIVED IN TIMES OF TROUBLE
The joy is that we can know what it means to be revived in the midst of what we are going through.

Psalm 138:7 ‘Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me!’

I sometimes wish God had said: ‘In the midst of trouble I will remove the trouble’. Unfortunately, He does NOT say this. What God does say is that in the midst of trouble He will revive us! What does it mean to be revived? It speaks of living again, being brought back to life. It includes regaining life and being alive again and it speaks of being able to flourish anew. Other versions speak of God preserving our lives and this speaks of being KEPT or GUARDED or MADE SAFE.
- This is what God wants to do for us in our times of trouble.

GOD WANTS TO WORK ON OUR BEHALF
This is such an encouragement!

Psalm 138:7 ‘You will stretch forth Your hand’

God wants to stretch forth His hand on your behalf. God wants to work in and through your situation. When God’s hand is involved in any way in our lives, something changes. It could be that He will deal with the situation or that He will deliver you. It could be that He will make a way where there seems to be no way.
God’s hand could even restrain things that were destined to destroy you! The issue is that God wants to work on your behalf. It is as we entrust our lives to Him that He can begin to do this for us. Either God works and we rest, or we work and God rests – the decision is ours.

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It is great to know that God is faithful. God wants to see us through whatever we may be facing. The truth is that we do face challenges and difficulties in the course of life. BUT we can rejoice to know that God wants to be with us – no matter what. The promise of God is that He will never leave us or forsake us. This is something we can depend upon at every stage of life and in the midst of the situations and circumstances we face in life. What are you facing today? What is it that feels like you need God’s help to see you through? God is there for you and He wants to see you through. 

LIFE AND TROUBLE
The Bible indicates again and again that trouble is one of the aspects that we will have to contend with in life. The Bible speaks of WHEN trouble comes not IF trouble comes. We think that a trouble-free, problem-free life is the ideal life to live. We go so far as to avoid, bypass and escape trouble – but we all taste of this aspect of life.

Psalm 37:39 ‘The Lord saves the godly! He is their salvation and their refuge when trouble comes.’

The issue is that God is with us and wants to be with us as we pass through difficulties.

IN THE MIDST OF TROUBLE
Usually when we are facing trouble, we know about it. Deep within us we are contending with what we are going through. The Bible speaks of this reality: 

Psalm 138:7 ‘Though I walk in the midst of trouble…’

David writes in Psalm 23:4 ‘Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,  I will fear no evil, for You are with me!’

I want to encourage those who feel like they are in the midst of some form of trouble. I want to encourage you by reminding you that you are not alone – God has not abandoned you! He will see you through. Great men and women of God faced trouble, David, Joseph, Moses, and Jesus. You are not alone - you are in good company.

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Perhaps the biggest hurdle that Moses had to overcome was his doubts and fears. God believed in him, and the Lord had prepared him for such a time as this and such a huge task as this, but he had some challenging hesitations. It is amazing how that, at the very moment of opportunity, we can come up with so many reasons and excuses, not to follow through with what God tells us to do!

Exodus 3:11 'I'm not the person for a job like that!' Moses exclaimed.

I can almost hear myself say these words...

Exodus 4:1 But Moses said, 'They won't believe me!' (Living Bible)

Exodus 4:10 But Moses pleaded, 'O Lord, I'm just not a good speaker. I have never been, and I'm not now, even after You have spoken to me, for I have a speech impediment.' (Living Bible)

Exodus 4:13 But Moses said, 'Lord, please! Send someone else.' (Living Bible)

Doubt, fear and excuses are the hurdles in the way of us being used by God. Do not let doubt, fear and excuses rob you of a life that is used by God. There is no greater joy, fulfillment or privilege in life, than being used by God. You may say, times are difficult, there is a global pandemic raging, I cannot do anything, but you can if God is with you.

OBEDIENCE, BREAKTHROUGH AND DELIVERANCE 
In His faithfulness, God reaffirms Moses and promises to be with him

Exodus 3:12 The God told him, 'I will certainly be with you!' (Living Bible)

Exodus 4:19 Before Moses left Midian, the LORD said to him, 'Return to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you have died.'

The crucial thing was that Moses decided to obey. He made the decision, despite all his fears, doubts and excuses, he rose above it all and took up the challenge.

Exodus 4:20 'So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and headed back to the land of Egypt. In his hand he carried the staff of God.'

So, Moses returned to Egypt and the great story of miracles, breakthrough and deliverance began to unfold. The Lord used Moses and his life to bring about great things and today we can encourage ourselves with this miraculous life story. Moses became, 'Moses - the great deliverer!' If you will follow the Lord's leading and obey His direction, He will use you, in ways you could never even begin to imagine. The Lord wants to use you. The mere fact that you received these notes and are reading them up to this point, could be a 'burning bush' experience for you. You are standing on holy ground, this is a sacred moment, the Lord wants to speak to you and use you. Take up your position, get up and do whatever He tells you to do.

John 2:5 'Do whatever HE tells you.'

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Moses spent 40 years in exile in the wilderness. But these were not wasted years.  The Lord used these years to work in Moses' heart and to change him and bring him to a place of total surrender and reliance on the Lord.  Often, we may think that there are many wasted years in our lives, but nothing is ever wasted with God. The 40 years that Moses spent in the wilderness was a time of preparation. Never underestimate the importance of preparation.

1. Preparation brings lasting results. 
Have you ever discovered that before you can paint out a room, you need to prepare the walls for the paint? Even if the wall surface is in perfect condition, some preparation work must be done before applying a new coat of paint. Once the wall is prepared the paint can be applied. A clean surface ensures that the paint will adhere to the surface, and in the process, last longer. Painting unprepared walls could results in peeling and other unsightly results. Skipping the preparation stage will bring regrets later. 

2. Preparation brings us to the place of authority. 
Take an individual, who takes years out of his life to study in a particular field. After the period of preparation is completed, they have the authority to speak about that field of knowledge.

3. Preparation and opportunity eventually meet. 
If we will allow the preparation stage of our lives to be completed, that preparation will eventually lead us to an opportunity.

AN APPOINTED TIME 
Moses went through this period of preparation within himself. He came to the end of himself and was ready to do what God told him to do. We know little about the 40 years in the wilderness, and this time of preparation, but we know a lot about the results. In one day, everything changed.

Exodus 3:1-4 One day... the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. God called to him from the middle of the bush, 'Moses! Moses!' 'Here I am!' Moses replied.

At the appointed time, after the preparation was complete, opportunity arrived. The opportunity was the privilege of being used by God to bring the long-awaited freedom his nation had so longed for.

Exodus 3:10 'Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.'

I believe that God had always planned to use Moses for this great calling and opportunity. He had allowed and even facilitated the season of preparation in the wilderness and the Lord had never given up on Moses. Moses was His 'Plan A' and there was no 'Plan B'. The Lord wants to use each one of us. He has taken us through our own period of preparation by way of our unique journey and He has a plan and purpose for each of our lives. Be ready for that 'one day'!

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Moses was the first-born son of a new marriage, and he was born into a situation of divine order.

Exodus 2:1-2 'Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son.'

From the time of his birth, people could see that this child was special and beautiful. 

Exodus 2:2 '...she (his mother) saw that he was a beautiful child...'

Other translations say that he was a fine child, a special child and a goodly child (pleasantly attractive and significant). So here we have this special and significant child born at time of great hardship and struggle. Even though the circumstances of his conception and birth were ideal and he was born blessed, everything else was against him. His parents were part of a nation that was being mistreated and oppressed. He was born into a nation of slaves, who had bitter lives of hard work and toil. To make matters worse, Pharaoh had given instructions that all the boy children had to be killed as soon as they were born. When this did not work, he instructed his people to throw new-born boys into the Nile river. His mother had managed to hide him for three months, but she could no longer hide him and so made the decision to let him go and let fate take its course.

Exodus 2:3 'When she could no longer hide him, she got a basket made of papyrus reeds and waterproofed it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in the basket and laid it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River.'

Against all odds, he was discovered by one of Pharaoh's daughters and was taken in and raised as a prince in Egypt.

RUNNING AWAY 
Due to circumstances that had happened and things that Moses had done, he ended up running away. The Living Bible says it so well: 

Exodus 2:15 'Moses ran away into the land of Median.'

It was here in the land of Median, far removed from his purpose and destiny that he spent many years. It was a wilderness experience where he ended up marrying and having children.  It was also here that he spent many hours looking after his fathers-in-law's animals. 

Exodus 2:21-22 Moses accepted the invitation, and he settled there with him. In time, Reuel gave Moses his daughter Zipporah to be his wife. Later she gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, for he explained, 'I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.'

How often things happen in our lives and we end up running away and we find ourselves in a wilderness period. No experience we go through is ever wasted.  God uses every experience and process we go through to ultimately bring us back to His purpose and plan for our lives.

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In the book of Exodus, we read a great story of God's intervention in the lives of His people. We see a series of miracles and interventions that led to the deliverance of the nation, from bondage and slavery, to a land flowing with 'milk and honey'. Within this story, of divine intervention, there is a story of a man, and his name was Moses. Moses was appointed, positioned and used by the Lord to facilitate freedom for an entire nation. It is interesting to see how this happened and the lengths God went to, to make use of Moses, to do great things. In the same way, amid your story, the Lord wants to use you. Perhaps we can learn some lessons from this remarkable account of the difference one person can make in the lives of many people around him. 

GOD ALWAYS HAS A PLAN
No matter what may be going on or what we may be going through, the Lord always has a plan, and this plan is to move us towards something better.  In the Exodus story we see God's plan in Exodus 5:1 'Let my people go...' His plan was to free His people from oppression and hardship and give them their own land.  His plan was not easy at first, in fact things got worse before they got better. The truth of the matter was that God was working in the lives of all the people involved, the Nation of Israel, Pharaoh and the Egyptians and in the life of Moses. The Lord knew that Pharaoh would not just let them go, because he was enjoying the benefit of having them in his land and had come to depend on them. For the people to be totally free, Pharaoh would have to get to the point of rejecting them and driving them out of his kingdom. The Lord knew this, and part of his plan was to bring things to this critical point. 

Exodus 6:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of My mighty hand he will let them go; because of My mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.'

Sometimes our situations must reach that critical point where all the different aspects can come together to bring the breakthrough. During this time frame, things may appear to be moving slowly or not at all. It may even seem as if things are getting worse and that breakthrough will never be a possibility - but God is working with a plan. In fact, He always has a plan. Although we may not see it, it is slowly unfolding. 

Romans 8:28 'And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.'

Notice these words: 'causes everything' to 'work together' for 'the good'! 

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Despite the great hardship that the nation of Israel faced, they continued to thrive.

Exodus 1:12 'But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more the Israelites multiplied and spread, and the more alarmed the Egyptians became.'

The concept of thriving under hardship seems a contradiction in terms. It appears that the more they were oppressed, the more they thrived. I have concluded that when God is in the equation of our lives, our thriving can be in direct proportion to our hardship. In other words, to the same degree that we are facing hardship, we can see an equal and opposite blessing on our lives. It may sound impossible, but that is what happened in this situation. In fact, the thriving was even greater than the suffering, so that even in the suffering, the progress they made was visibly greater. This distressed their enemies greatly. It says that the Egyptians became even more alarmed. Imagine, that even while you are facing great challenges, you can still make so much progress, that the enemy becomes alarmed. I believe that this is possible as we continue to trust our Deliverer. The Lord was with the nation of Israel, giving them success and growth, despite the challenges they faced. I know it may seem like an impossibility, and you may say that I do not know what you are facing, and that is true, BUT if God steps in and changes the dynamics, you can thrive in the face of challenges. This is my prayer for you, that you will thrive, in the face of challenges.

GOD SEES ALL AND HEARS ALL
When we go through difficulties, it can sometimes feel like God has abandoned us. We may even feel as if our prayers are 'bouncing off the ceiling...' But the truth of the matter is that God sees all things and hears all things.

Exodus 3:7 Then the LORD told him, 'I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering.'

This verse tells us all about the character of God. He never forsakes or abandons us. He never leaves us or forgets us, and He sees what is going on and what we are going through, and He hears our prayers, cries and calls for help, and in His time, He will act.

Exodus 2:23-25 'Years passed, and the king of Egypt died. But the Israelites continued to groan under their burden of slavery. They cried out for help, and their cry rose up to God. God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act.'

How reassuring it is to know that HE hears, HE sees, HE remembers, HE is aware, and HE acts. Nothing that we go through, struggle with, no injustice, no cruel treatment and no hardship that we endure, is HE unaware of. Just as we see in the above Scripture, there came a time when it was time for the Lord to act on behalf of His people. We can expect the Lord to exhibit the same character towards us. I believe that it is time for Him to act in the situations we are facing and therefore we can be expectant.

LET MY PEOPLE GO - GOD'S PLAN!

Exodus 3:8 'So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey.'

This picture of the Lord 'coming down' to rescue His people, is a picture of divine intervention. I believe we all go through things in life where we need 'DIVINE INTERVENTION'. But it was not just a rescue mission, it was a rescue and restoration mission. The Lord's plan was to:

1. Step into the situation.
2. Rescue His people.
3. Deliver them from the power of the thing that wanted to destroy them.
4 Lead them out and away from the situation.
5. Take them into a wonderful future of promise and provision.

Over and over, in the book of Exodus, we see the instruction from the Lord, 'LET MY PEOPLE GO!' To be free, is God's desire for His people, and He wants to intervene to bring it to pass.

Galatians 5:1 'It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.'

The very purpose for which Christ came to earth was to ensure freedom for His people. It is what the Lord wants to do for you. Even now, with all the challenges that the world is facing, He says: 'LET MY PEOPLE GO! LET MY CHILD BE FREE!' Know it, believe it and expect it! 

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In the story in the book of Exodus we see how things began to change. Something happened that upset the equilibrium and the result was that the 'tide turned' and things took a turn.

Exodus 1:8 'Eventually, a new king came to power in Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph or what he had done.'

The favour, peace and prosperity that they had lived under turned into a vastly different scenario, and they could not do anything about it. The truth was that the new king of Egypt felt threatened because of how well the people of God were doing. His greatest fear was that they would rise up against him and threaten him and his nation.

Exodus 1:9 He said to his people, 'Look, the people of Israel now outnumber us and are stronger than we are.'

We live a life where constant change is the only thing, we can be sure of. We can feel as secure as 'houses' the one day, and then find that we are sitting exposed in a vulnerable position the next. It was on 27 February 2020, when my church prayed for me and released me into the destiny that the Lord had prepared for me. It was a special and wonderful moment. The church was full, and everyone was enjoying singing, praying and listening to the sermon. Little did we know that a virus, that we had heard almost nothing about, was about to invade our lives and change life as we knew it. Within less than one month we would be in complete lockdown and no church services would be permitted. At the time we thought it would be a week or three, but we did not realise it would continue for months. Months later, as I sit here today, the effects are still being felt and we are being advised that it could still have an impact for years to come. The tide had turned, things had changed. My late father would always tell us that 'constant change is here to stay!' Things can and inevitable will change. Change is something we are incapable of avoiding or evading. It is for this very reason that we must trust God so completely. He is the anchor in the voyage of life, and He is with us in the 'boat' of our lives, so we can keep moving forward.

THE HARD TIMES (THE SEASON OF DIFFICULTIES)
I do not think I have ever lived through such a time as now, when so many people are struggling all around me. People are losing jobs, incomes, careers and many are losing hope. Many people do not even have food to put on the table, and just a few months ago we had no idea it would even happen. In the story of the exodus we see how that once the tide had turned, people faced hard times.

Exodus 1:10 'We must make a plan to keep them from growing even more. If we don't, and if war breaks out, they will join our enemies and fight against us. Then they will escape from the country.'

Often, change can bring with it a difficult season. If you think of some of the changes that people go through and the resultant difficulties. Think about divorce, bankruptcies, retrenchment or even the death of a family member. This is how it happened in the exodus account.

Exodus 1:11 'So the Egyptians made the Israelites their slaves. They appointed brutal slave drivers over them, hoping to wear them down with crushing labour.'

Hard times are never easy. Regardless of what we face, we can know that God is with us.

Psalm 46:1 'God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.'

We are not exempt from hard times, or as the Bible calls it, trouble or storms, but the greatest joy is to know that even when we face these things, we are not alone, our Deliverer is right there with us.

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The story of the exodus of the Nation of Israel from bondage in Egypt to the promised land is the greatest story of deliverance. It is a story about a nation of people, once celebrated in the land, now tolerated and subjugated into slavery. It is also a story about the Lord's remarkable connection with His people and how He steps into their situation and delivers them. It is recorded for us in the Bible, in the book of Exodus in the Old Testament. There are so many remarkable correlations between this story and what people go through during life. There are also many correlations that we see people facing in the world today. What we know for sure is that the Lord never changes, and therefore we can draw strength from this remarkable story, and we can anticipate that the Lord will be faithful to us, as He was then, to His people.

THE GOOD TIMES
We all go through seasons in life where things seem to go smoothly or seemed to have gone smoothly. Perhaps that is why people often refer to 'The good old days.'  In the story in the book of Exodus, Joseph become the prince in Egypt and brings his whole family to live in an area called Goshen. Goshen was a region of ancient Egypt, east of the Nile delta: it was given to Jacob and his descendants by the king of Egypt and they inhabited it until the exodus. (Genesis 45:10) It was a place of comfort, security and plenty. It is symbolic for us of a good time and a good place. During this season, people thrived and multiplied. Originally only 70 individuals came to Goshen, but they enjoyed good times and during this season they flourished and prospered.

Exodus 1:7 'Their descendants had many children and grandchildren. In fact, they multiplied so greatly that they became extremely powerful and filled the land.'

It is as if they were living through a boom time. It was a veritable population explosion, and with that came increased influence and power. They became a force to be reckoned with. Perhaps you can remember a time when you or your family were really doing well? Perhaps things were going from strength to strength and you never imagined that things could change? We all go through periods or season of good times. We must make the most of these times and realise that the Lord is blessing us for a reason. We should make the best use of the good times, and as the old proverb says; 'We should make hay while the sun shines.'

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During this time in our lives, we must not waste the opportunity we have been given. We have an opportunity, during all that is going on, to develop our relationship with the Lord our God. Do not make space for fear and doubt in your heart, make more space for the Lord. 

Isaiah 40:3 Listen! It's the voice of someone shouting, 'Clear the way through the wilderness for the LORD! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!'

Often our lives can become cluttered and consumed with all the 'issues of life'. We have an opportunity to declutter and rid our lives of things that would disturb our relationship with the Lord. We have this wonderful opportunity to deal with the obstacles and make a way, and build a straight highway, for the Lord to become the dominant player in our lives. Perhaps your relationship with the Lord has become a bit of a wilderness or a wasteland. Anywhere where God is not, is a wilderness and wasteland. We need the Lord in our lives, we cannot do without Him. So, let us deal with the hindrances and let us make right with Him, so that He can turn our wilderness into a well-watered garden and our wasteland into a fruitful field. 

Isaiah 40:4 'Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places.' 

HE WILL DO IT 
The Lord is the One who will step into our lives and bring about the change we so desperately need and long for. We live in a world where there is not much that we as individuals can do to bring about change, except to call out to God for help - pray. But God can and God will. Look what it says in verse 6. 

Isaiah 40:6 A voice said, "Shout!" I asked, "What should I shout?"

It is time for us to focus on the Lord and on what God has said. We cannot keep on singing the song of despair that the world is singing. Let us change our confession and begin to confess something different. Let us begin to proclaim in His name, that the time of struggle, captivity, and misery, is finished. Let us start to declare that a double blessing, or a double portion of His blessings, are ours and will be ours. Speak it out, shout it out, and let that be your reality. 

THE GLORY OF THE LORD WILL BE REVEALED
Nothing ever happens in this world or in our lives that God will not use to bring Him glory. He can even take situations that seem hopeless and turn them into something for His glory. In the middle of this whole story, we see the purpose and intention of the Lord. 

Isaiah 40:5 'And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.'

I believe that, somehow, through all that is going on, God's glory will be revealed, and it will be something that no man can take credit for. He is using what the world is going through and what you are facing as an opportunity for His glory to be revealed. Your situation, and our situation as a global community, is a wonderful opportunity to see what God will do. So, be comforted and be encouraged. The Lord has wonderful plans for each one of us. 

Jeremiah 29:11 "I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

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Continuing in verse 1, we see another interesting detail. 

Isaiah 40:1 'Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.'

The phrase at the end of the sentence says: 'says YOUR God!' Here we see how the Lord confirms to His people that He is their God. He does not simply say: 'Says God!' He adds the word 'YOUR' to the equation. So now, not only do we know that we belong to Him, but in a wonderful way, He is ours. We can know an even greater sense of belonging in the fact that God is our God, He is YOUR Lord and God. Let me remind you that HE is the Lord YOUR God. 

Isaiah 43:3 'Because I am God, your personal God!' (The Message Translation) 

Your God is still in control of all things and your God knows what you are facing and going through, and He will be with you! 

GOD WILL INTERVENE 
This is an amazing story, as God intersects the lives of the people, and begins to speak hope. 

Isaiah 40:2 'Speak tenderly to her, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins.'

The Lord tenderly speaks to His people giving them a hope and a future. It is not a booming voice out of the heavens like a trumpet or a bolt of thunder with lightning. 
Notice that He speaks tenderly to His people. He gently steps in and speaks words of comfort and reassurance. The Lord consoles His people. He wants to do the same for you, He wants to step into your 'world' and your situation, and console you, and comfort you with the hope that only He can bring. The Lord actually identifies the fact that there has been a struggle and there has been suffering, but it is about to end. The promise of restoration is given and that promise includes a double blessing for the future. 

Isaiah 40:2 'she has received from the LORD's hand double...'      

The Lord is here, right now, to comfort and encourage you. The end is in sight and the future looks promising because He is the Lord your God. 

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At times in our lives we need comfort. We all go through those really low moments in life when we need someone to come alongside us and to comfort and console us.  When my wife passed away in 2018, people came and comforted me. Some just stood with me at her graveside, some prayed for me, some brought physical help in the form of food or assistance. Still others comforted me by their kindness, their words, their actions, their very presence, and even by their physical touch. I was comforted and I believe it was ultimately God who was comforting me.  At this time in history we are facing a global challenge. Things are hard, and tough times seem to have become a living reality for so many people. There is fear and uncertainty on the one side, and hunger and sickness on the other. People, all around the world, are caught between the physical reality of challenges and the emotional toll of what appears to be something that is out of control.  In the midst of all this, I am here to comfort you today. Today, the Lord wants to come and comfort you.  As His representative, I am here to extend His hand of comfort to you today.  Receive the comfort that comes from the Lord, right now. 

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 40:1-5 
Key verse: Isaiah 40:1 'Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.'

My People
In verse 1 we see an interesting verse.  In the verse, The Lord tells the prophet to comfort the people of God. 

Isaiah 40:1 'Comfort, comfort MY people...'

The nation had been in captivity and with the captivity came all sorts of challenges and struggles. Now, things were about to change. God was about to step into their world and situation, and bring about changes that would have seemed unlikely and almost impossible. The Lord was telling them that things would change, and this change was a hope they had given up on seeing take place. In the instruction, the Lord says: 'Comfort, comfort MY people!' As Children of God, we have the wonderful privilege of belonging to the Lord. Let me remind you that you are HIS, you are HIS child. You are valuable and precious to the Lord and He loves you. In His love, He is reaching out to each one of us to remind us that we are HIS. We belong to the Lord. Our worth comes from the wonderful fact that we belong to God.Maybe, today, you feel like you are under 'lock and key'. You do not belong to the 'locks and keys' around you, you belong to God. No matter what you are struggling with today, you do not belong to that thing, you belong to God. Let me remind you and comfort you with the knowledge that you belong to God and you are HIS.'This truth is something Lord speaks over you and your situation: 'Thus, says your God!' 

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a. Psalm 121:8 (NKJV) 'The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.'

b. Isn't it wonderful to know that our future is secure? This is one of the most amazing promises of God! It reassures us. God cares for you right now. In 20 years He will still be caring for you. If you graduate to heaven, He will still be caring for you there.

c. Psalm 125:2 (NIV) 'As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people both now and forevermore.'

d. DECLARE THIS: I am, secure! Both now, and forevermore. I am safe, in His arms!

Our response: LORD I PLACE MY TRUST IN YOU

a. When you think about it, this is a psalm of TRUST. It calls for a response from us! We cannot just read this psalm and walk away the same. It calls us to place our complete trust in the Lord.

b. This psalm encourages us to trust the Lord in every conceivable situation and stage of life. If you're a child... trust the Lord to overcome fear of the dark / rise above bullying at school. If you're a teenager... trust the Lord to to keep you pure / to give direction for subject choices / to find good friends. If you're old and grey... trust the Lord to to give you clarity of mind / to provide for you.

c. God is completely worthy of our trust! He is trustworthy.

d. Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NLT) 'Blessed are those who TRUST in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water.'

e. Psalm 121 has given hope to countless people for over 2,500 years! And today it is encouraging YOU in your journey! It is breathing faith into your soul.

My last statement: How do we respond? By saying: 'God, I place my trust in You!' 

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a. Psalm 121:2 (NKJV) 'My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.' 

b. The psalmist refers to our Helper as the One 'Who made heaven and earth'. That is a powerful statement!! It means that if He made heaven and earth (The universe)... He made the whole. If He made the whole... then the parts of the whole are fully under His control. If everything is under His control... then it is easy for Him to help us! God can offer help because He has the authority to control. I can't offer help from our military, because I don't control it. God has the power and ability to help!

c. Our Helper is all-powerful. He is the Maker of heaven and the earth. He is the mighty God! SPEAK IT OUT: 'He's is my mighty Helper!'

d. Psalm 46:1 (NIV) 'God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present HELP in trouble.'

He is no ordinary helper. He is our ever-present Helper! Our covenant-keeping Helper! Our faithful-to-His-promises Helper!

SOME OF THE WAYS IN WHICH HE WILL GUARD AND KEEP YOU

a. Verse 3 (NKJV) 'He will not allow your foot to be moved.' The enemy would love to move your foot from the Rock of Ages, from the firm foundation of Christ. BUT God will keep you from slipping.

Psalm 40:2 (NKJV) 'He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.'

b. Verse 7 (NKJV) 'The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul.' I believe in God's protection! How about you?

c. Verse 8 (NKJV) 'The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in.'
One Theologian wrote the following: (uses Old Testament language) 'In the morning a man would go out of his chamber in which he slept. He would go about his daily tasks. Then in the evening he would return to his chamber. Throughout the entire day he would know God's preserving power.' The significance of 'going out' and 'coming in' is that God's protection will cover ALL your activities.

Deuteronomy 28:6 (NKJV) 'Blessed shall you be when you come in and blessed shall you be when you go out.'

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I believe this message will bring you HOPE, HELP and ENCOURAGEMENT. There's nothing like the Word of God to bring hope and restore courage. God's Word is powerful. It can break shackles. It can break despair. Let's turn our attention to one of the Psalms. This psalm could quite possibly be considered as 'the most encouraging psalm' in God's Word. If not the most encouraging, then at least one of the most encouraging. It is Psalm 121.

Psalm 121:1-8 (NKJV) 'I will lift up my eyes to the hills - from whence comes my help?  My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper [other translations: protector or guardian]; the LORD is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.' 

You have to agree this is a beautiful Psalm! Amen?

'LIFT UP MY EYES TO THE HILLS' ...LOOK TO YOUR DIVINE HELPER

a. Psalm 121:1-2a (NKJV) 'I will lift up my eyes to the hills - from whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD.' 

What is this business about the hills? Are we supposed to look up to the hills and somehow draw mystical power from the mountains or hills. Not at all! Allow me to explain...

b. If you were living in those days, you would have understood this expression very well. The city of Jerusalem is situated on a hill and is surrounded by other hills. And the Temple hill in Jerusalem was the dwelling place of God on earth - the place where the ark of God's presence rested. So, when someone needed divine help, he would look towards the hills. This was the same as looking to the Lord. In other words, he would look towards Jerusalem... towards the Temple hill... towards the place of God's presence. That's where he would direct his prayers. [It makes perfect sense]

c. Important Note: This wasn't about drawing some mystical power from the mountains, but it was about praying towards the location of God's presence in Jerusalem.

d. In 1 Kings we find an excellent example of praying towards the city and the temple: [These are the words of Solomon]

1 Kings 8:44-45 (NKJV) 'When Your people go out to battle against their enemy, wherever You send them, and when they pray to the LORD toward the city which You have chosen and toward the temple which I have built for Your name, then hear in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.'

Praying towards the hills/the city/the temple... meant praying to the Lord!

e. Question: Where does your help come from? The obvious answer is 'from the Lord'. We need to make sure that we really believe that! Billy Graham - 'One really believes only that which one acts upon.' In other words, if you consistently go to the Lord as your Helper, then you demonstrate that you really believe He is your Helper.
- In this time of global crisis, make the Lord your Helper. Don't trust in your own power... trust your Divine Helper.

f. The psalmist was not at all confused about the source of his help. He knew that it came from the Almighty God - the Maker of heaven and earth.

g. We need to always go to the Lord for help! Sometimes we are tempted to look in the wrong places: Example: Stuck without employment... look to alcohol for help Example: Struggling with loss & bereavement... look to a medium for help
- No... look to your Divine Helper.

h. John 14:16-17a (NKJV) 'And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever - the Spirit of truth.'
Praise the Lord for the Holy Spirit! He is our Helper.

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One of the biggest hindrances to fully utilising our today, is our past! Our past comes with much baggage, and if we try to drag this baggage into the future, regardless of how precious it may be, it will hold us back. Your past is exactly that, your past. The beauty of the past is that it is over, and no one can change what happened there, but we can pause, look back for a moment, and then turn to look into the rising sunshine of today and all it promises.

Isaiah 43:18-19 'Do not call to mind the former things or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.'

TOMORROW NEVER COMES!
In our culture there is a phrase that is often used: 'Tomorrow is another day!' The implication is that we don't need to be concerned or under pressure, because there is always tomorrow. We can see tomorrow as another chance or opportunity to achieve what we did not achieve today. But the truth of the matter is that tomorrow never really comes. When tomorrow comes, it is another today, with its own tomorrow still lying ahead. Today is actually all we are sure of. Tomorrow is just another hope and another promise, of another today. For this reason, it is important to realise how important today is.

Proverbs 27:1 'Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.'

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Sometimes we can become so bogged down in life that we don't realise that with each new day comes a new start and new beginning. As a young man. I remember visiting my friend's home. His mother had an embroidered artwork that hung at the end of the passage as you walked out of the house. I can't remember the exact words, but it said something like this: 'TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!' This left an impression on me as a young man. At the time I was young and didn't really take much notice, but yet it caught my attention, and has remained with me all of these years. How would we live if we realised that today was the first day of the rest of our lives? I am sure it would change our perspective and cause us to embrace the new day with renewed hope and strength. It would turn today into a new opportunity, and not just another day. It would make what we do today more significant, and perhaps encourage us to make a new start and to make better use of it. You see, your future begins now. This is a moment that God has given you. Grab it with both hands and make the most of it.

GOD HAS BROUGHT YOU THIS FAR
God in His wisdom and plan has brought you to this point. Recognise His hand in your life.

Psalm 139:16 'You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.'

Never doubt the Lord's deep and enduring love for you, even in the tough times. Always remind yourself that it is the Lord who has carried and sustained you.

1 Samuel 7:12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up... He named it Ebenezer, saying, 'Thus far the LORD has helped us.'

Perhaps you could just pause for a moment and remember what the Lord has done for you, and be thankful.

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Our hearts need to wait upon God, our strength. Then God can be our strength. Then when we realise that He was our strength, we can rejoice. Then because of His strength we can break out into praise. 

Psalm 59:17 ‘To You, O my strength, I sing praises!’ 

In the previous verse, Psalm 59:16 it says: ‘But I will sing of Your strength, and proclaim Your loving devotion in the morning.’ In the face of danger and trouble, David could sing. It takes Divine Strength to be able to sing in the face of danger, trouble and pending doom. When King Saul sent assassins to David’s house, he was open about his desire to kill David. From then on, for the next many years (perhaps 10 to 15 years), David lived as a fugitive, constantly in danger of his life. It’s interesting that David entered that period singing praises and was still able to pour out his heart to God in song at the end of that period (2 Samuel 1:17-27). You see, David was confident that with the Lord as His strength, he would survive the night and live to tell the tale of God’s faithfulness and love in the morning. This he did, day by day, until, many years later, he was victorious, the battle was over, and he became king. 

So:
1. Make the Lord your strength.
2. Wait and watch for the Lord in your situation. Don’t rush in where angels fear to tread.
3. Put God and His strength between you and those things that would like to destroy you.
4. Break out in praise and shift the focus from your issues to Him and His strength.
5. Get ready to rejoice and to tell the story of how faithful God has been to you!

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Sometimes when we consider this aspect of God’s strength, we see it like some byproduct of His character that He gives us. But the truth of the matter is the HE is our strength. We receive Him, and in the process His strength. Don’t just receive His strength but make HIM your strength. Appropriate Him as your strength. Take Him, the Lord, as your strength. Take hold of Him, take hold of the Lord, and strength will be yours. I have endeavored to make the Lord my strength. Recently I discovered how that the Lord has ‘got my back’ even when I didn’t even know there was a problem. We recently went away on holiday. We have a little dog who is very special to us. Although the dog actually belongs to my daughter, she became endeared to us during my late wife’s sickness and passing. During the time she was struggling with ill health, this little dog was her constant companion and often, we thought, this animal seemed to know that my wife was ill and would be a companion to her in her suffering. My wife left an instruction: ‘Please take care of the dog!’ The dog’s name is Cupcake. When we went away, we gave the dog to some friends to look after. These friends live on a dangerous and busy street. During the holidays, on New Year’s Eve, the dog became frightened due to all the fireworks and chewed its way out and escaped. No one even knew the dog was gone. At about 1am, someone phoned me. But my phone was already on silent for the night. She left a voice message. As I checked my phone in the dead of night, I heard the voice message: ‘Hi, my name is Zanri. I have Cupcake. I was driving home and saw this dog running wildly around and she looked out of place. I picked her up. She is safe with me. You can collect her in the morning!’ Who stops in the dead of night to pick up a dog that’s running around? Who will take the responsibility to care for this animal and call its owners? Who offers to take care of the dog and then makes arrangements for us to collect it. God, my strength, had already provided for something I did not even know had happened. The dog could have been lost, stolen, run over, but no, everything was taken care of. Now I can just give God praise and thanks for what He has done, and I had nothing to do with it. 

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David was not hesitant to speak out his need to the Lord. In fact he was very graphic about what he was facing.  He didn’t try to water it down or minimise his challenges.  He spoke of ‘wicked traitors’ and ‘fierce men who conspired against him’.  He spoke of ‘snarling dogs’ and ‘scavengers’, ‘prowling’ and ‘growling’ around him. He was aware of what he was up against and did not hesitate to bring it to the Lord’s attention in graphic and descriptive detail.  It reminds us of the fact that we too have an enemy who would like to see us destroyed. 

1 Peter 5:8 ‘Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.’ 

In the same way we can bring our issues and challenges to the Lord and we can face the truth of things and tell God how we see and experience things. Don’t hesitate to tell the Lord about your area of need.  He is concerned about the drama you are facing.  Step up, speak it out and get it off your chest – the Lord is there for you! 

IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM, WAIT!  
In the middle section of Psalm 59 we find a key to success, regardless of the odds we may be up against.

Psalm 59:9 ‘I will keep watch (wait) for You, O my strength!’ 

There is a correlation between waiting and receiving strength from the Lord. Our natural human tendency is to rush out and deal with the issue or challenge. Often when the storms of life come our way, we react. I wonder how many opportunities have been lost, I wonder how many doors have closed, because of our reactions in situations and to situations. David was facing the imminent possibility of death and right there in that moment he chooses not to react or retaliate, but he chooses to watch and wait. David knows the problem; he has brought it to the attention of the Lord and now he waits. David is not sure of the outcome, but he waits and watches for God with expectation and anticipation. There are times when we don’t know what will happen, but in those moments, we should watch and wait with faith, until we see what God is doing or is going to do. It is in the waiting, the pausing, the watching, that we can receive strength from Him. (and I dare say: wisdom) Stop the urge to react and vent… watch and wait, His strength will be yours. 

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As we develop our relationship with the Lord, His strength in our lives will be an automatic outflow. In Psalm 59 we see how David had a relationship with the Lord.  It was a relationship that was living and real.  The Lord was a living reality to David and David looked to the Lord for intervention, help and strength.  David cries out to God in the form of a prayer and asks the Lord for deliverance and defense in a situation where he was an enemy of the state and a hunted man.  But in-between his prayers we discover a deep relationship with the Lord.  In verse 1, David speaks of the Lord as ‘MY GOD’! In the process, he declares his close and personal relationship with God.

He speaks of MY God. Not THE Lord or OUR God, but MY God. 
In verse 9 and verse 17 he calls God his fortress: ‘For You, O God, are MY fortress.’ A fortress is a place of safety and security and David knew His God in this secure way.  In verse 10 and verse 17 he speaks of the Lord as the One who loves him: ‘My God of loving devotion!’ It appears as if he could sense and feel the love of God towards him He speaks out of a tenderness of heart, regarding God’s love and commitment towards him. In verse 9 and verse 17 he speaks of the Lord as his strength: ‘O my strength!’ It almost sounds like a sigh of relief to know God as his strength. Just hear it: ‘O my strength!’ He knew the Lord as the One who was his strength and the One from whom all strength flows.  Perhaps he had learnt to live in total and desperate dependence on the Lord? These things flowed out of his relationship with the Lord. We can know the same things out of our relationship with the Lord.

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This Psalm was written by David. It was written at a difficult time in his life. Saul, his arch enemy, had sent men to kill him. The murderous intent of King Saul against David was openly revealed. These men were watching David day and night. They were monitoring his house, looking for an opportunity to step in and kill him. In all if this, David teaches us, by example, that we can know that the Lord will undertake, we can trust in Him, and we can know the Lord’s strength in our lives and situations. Things may appear challenging in your private world, but the Lord will come and strengthen you. Things may appear challenging in your country, but the Lord will come and strengthen you. Things may appear challenging in the world, but the Lord will come and strengthen you.

WE ALL NEED THE LORD’S STRENGTH 
Each and every one of us need the strength that comes from God. We were not designed to do it (life) in our own strength. There are times when we are weak, there are times when we feel desperate, pressurised and discouraged. There is nothing unique about this condition, it is common to all of mankind. I remember speaking to someone years ago who was going through a lot of challenges. I asked her: ‘How do you cope?’ She retorted and said: ‘Don’t worry about me, I’ve got broad shoulders!’ Having ‘broad shoulders’ can be helpful, but in the end of day it can wear us down and make us weak. How we need His help and His strength in our daily lives. Sometimes we simply need some ‘Divine Intervention’. I know that I need the strength that God offers, and I am sure the same is true for you.

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WHAT WE GO THROUGH CAN BRING US TO A PLACE OF MATURITY
Although we might not like to admit it, problems play a role of bringing us to a place of maturity. Here we see a clear parallel between real life and the things we go through. A child comes to maturity as it faces life’s challenges and moves on. For the moment we may be facing difficulty, but God has a plan and His plan is that we become what He intended for us to become. I have discovered that the people who can help me the most, in the difficulties I am facing, are those who have had similar difficulties and moved through those difficulties to a place of maturity and victory. This is a place where the problem does not rule them but instead they have learnt what they needed to learn and God has taken them onto the next thing that He has for them! 
James 1:2-4 Dear brothers, is your life full of difficulties and temptations? Then be happy, for when the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow. So let it grow, and don’t try to squirm out of your problems. For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete.
God wants us strong in character, full and complete – mature.

Your OBSTACLE could become your OPPORTUNITY!
Your STUMBLING BLOCK could become your STEPPING STONE!
Your TEST could become your TESTIMONY! 
Your MISERY could become your MINISTRY!
Your FAILURE could become your FOUNDATION!

CONCLUSION: THE APOSTLE PAUL ALSO FACED CHALLENGES
Yes, even the great Apostle Paul faced challenges. He called it his ‘thorn in the flesh’. He asked God to remove this hindrance on three occasions, but it seems that this was not to happen. God said this to him:
2 Corinthians 12:9 But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.  

MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU! The grace that we will receive if the challenge is not removed could be of greater value to the individual than the direct answer to his prayer would have been. It was just like this with Paul; and also with David; and so it is often the same with Christians now. The removal of the issue.

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Sometimes it is only when we have problems that we turn to God for help. When everything is going well we tend to sail along without allowing the Lord to lead and guide us. God wants to lead and guide you. When trouble comes it causes us to return to God and call on Him in our situation and circumstances. 
Nahum 1:7 The Lord is good. When trouble comes, He is the place to go! And He knows everyone who trusts in Him!  
Psalm 120:1 In my troubles I pled with God to help me and He did! 
No matter what you may be facing today, let it be an opportunity to call on God for His guidance in your life. Expect the unexpected. You may feel God guiding you to do something unusual and from a human perspective it may seem strange, but remember God is God and He sees things differently. It tells us in the Bible that God has got a plan for each of our lives. We may feel things are falling apart but God may be co-ordinating affairs to bring us into the fulfillment of His plan. 
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 
Romans 8:28 And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into His plans. 

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WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH CAN BRING YOU TO A PLACE OF TRUSTING GOD
Often times the issues come because we do our own thing. We do not allow God to lead us and guide us. And as a result we end up with problems. When we trust in ourselves and in our own abilities we are setting ourselves up for a problem. God wants us to trust Him and trust Him completely. 
2 Corinthians 1:9 But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God. 
Life does not always make sense. We don’t always know why certain things happen. Even when things don’t make sense, God is still in control. As a result we can learn to rely on Him and not on ourselves.

3. WHAT WE GO THROUGH CAN BRING ABOUT CHANGE IN OUR LIVES
I have seen people who are so convinced of their opinion and position that it is impossible for them to change. God wants our lives to be a process where we are changing from strength to strength and from glory to glory. When we are confronted with problems we are also confronted with change. God can use these issues to help us make those changes that He would have us make in our lives. Problems are a critical inflection point or a T-junction that calls for decision and change. There is a great song we used to sing: ‘Change my heart oh God, make it ever new’. If you are facing something today, you need to evaluate if this problem does not call for change in your heart and in your life.

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We often wonder why we are going through certain things. We may even feel that we do not understand why God is allowing us to go through such trials and challenges. These are questions that good people often ask. In the course of life we do face many issues, challenges and problems and in all these cases we are called upon to face and deal with these things. The Bible is full of accounts of how God used the impossible and challenging circumstances in people’s lives to bring about His plans and purposes. Just think about Joseph, Moses and Paul. We may wish away what we are facing, but perhaps God has a hand in things and perhaps He wants to use what you and I may be challenged with for a greater reason?

SCRIPTURE READING:

Daniel 6:1-28 (The story of Daniel in the lion’s den) Key verse: Daniel 6:22

GOD USES WHAT WE GO THROUGH
God uses the problems that we are facing to be able to work in our lives. Primarily God is interested in our hearts. We need to respond wisely to the issues that life brings our way and not get into a reactionary mode. Sometimes one problem can lead to a new solution that could change our lives. One thing that you can be sure of is that God knows what you are facing and what you are going through. He wants to use those things and turn them out for good. 
Romans 8:28 We are assured and know that all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose. 
God is able to turn the most desperate situation around into something good. God’s intentions are clear. 
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 

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WHAT IS HIS GRACE?
It’s God’s favor. It’s God’s loving-kindness. It’s God’s mercy. Divine Mercy. Dictionary definition: ‘Unmerited divine assistance given to man!’ Grace signifies two things:
1. The good-will of God towards us! This is enough to enlighten and enliven us, sufficient to strengthen and comfort us, to support our souls and cheer up our spirits, in all afflictions and distresses.
2. The good work of God in us! Jesus understands our situation, and knows our need, and will work in us and provide for us and use what we are going through for His glory. His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

6. GOD CAN USE OUR WEAKNESS OR OUR STATE OF WEAKNESS
When we are weak in ourselves, then we can be strong in the Lord. When we are weak in ourselves, then we go out of ourselves to Christ. Then we are qualified to receive strength from HIM. We can, in this way, experience divine strength and grace. When I am weak, then am I strong!

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These must be some of the most comforting words in the entire Bible. My grace is sufficient for you! Other translations say the following: 
My gracious favor is all you need!  
My grace is all you need! 
My grace is enough for you!
But what does this mean? I believe it is simple yet profound. I believe it means that God says: "I am standing with you in this situation. That’s really all we need to know." Sufficient also means enough to meet the needs of a situation or a proposed end. The Greek word for sufficient means "to be content . . . to raise a barrier …… to ward off that which pushes us to one side." I sometimes wish God had said that He would simply remove the situation. Perhaps you have had a similar situation that You wished God would just remove? God’s response was one of: ‘I know what you are facing and I am right here with you, providing you with just what you need at the moment you need it!’

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GOD DEALS WITH THE PROUD
It is very clear from scripture that God deals with the proud. 
1 Peter 5:5 For God sets Himself against the proud (and He opposes, frustrates, and defeats them)
Note these things: 

1. God sets Himself against the proud. 
2. God opposes the proud. 
3. God frustrates the proud. 
4. God defeats the proud. 
5. God resists the proud. 

1 Peter 5:5-6 But God gives grace (favor, blessing) to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you. 
Note these things: 

1. God gives grace to the humble. 
2. God gives favor to the humble. 
3. God gives blessing to the humble. 
4. God exalts the humble. 

1 Peter 5:5 God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. NKJV
We are advised to humble ourselves. 
1 Peter 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you. 
Matthew 23:12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. (Jesus speaking) 
It is better for you and I to deal with pride than for God to deal with it! 

CALLING ON GOD IS ALWAYS THE RIGHT THING TO DO
When we turn to God and call on Him it shows our dependence on God. When we turn to God and call on Him, we are in effect humbling ourselves. For each of us, we need to get to the place of ‘desperate dependence’ on God. I recently met with a friend of mine. He has been a successful businessman for many years. He told me how he used to wait on God in all the decisions he had to make in his business. He had written down the things that God told him to do in a book. Now, things are not going so well and when he went to check this book, he realized that he had not written in it for 5 years. He had moved from ‘dependency on God’ to ‘self dependency’ and this had brought him close to destruction. When pride comes in we think we no longer need God and we think we can do it in our own strength and ability. But we can always return to a place of dependency by humbling ourselves and calling on God. Calling on God is always the right thing to do. The Apostle had also called on the Lord.
2 Corinthians 12:8 ‘Three times I called upon the Lord and besought [Him] about this and begged that it might depart from me.’ 

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SCRIPTURE READING
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 And to keep me from being puffed up and too much elated by the exceeding greatness (preeminence) of these revelations, there was given me a thorn (a splinter) in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to rack and buffet and harass me, to keep me from being excessively exalted. Three times I called upon the Lord and besought [Him] about this and begged that it might depart from me; But the Lord said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in your weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me! So for the sake of Christ, I am well pleased and take pleasure in infirmities, insults, hardships, persecutions, perplexities and distresses; for when I am weak [in human strength], then am I truly strong (able, powerful in divine strength). 

PRIDE IS AN ENEMY WE MUST CONSTANTLY KEEP A HAND ON
Pride is an enemy. It stands on the fringes of our lives waiting to be given a platform. The Bible speaks very firmly on the issue of pride. 
Proverbs 16:18 Pride leads to destruction, and arrogance to downfall. 
1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh [craving for sensual gratification] and the lust of the eyes [greedy longings of the mind] and the pride of life [assurance in one’s own resources or in the stability of earthly things]—these do not come from the Father but are from the world [itself]. 
Pride promotes strife and conflict. Pride can often lead to poor or bad decisions. Pride is one of what we call ‘the seven deadly sins’. (wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony). Pride stops us from putting things right with people. Pride stops us from saying sorry. Pride stops you from acting rationally. It breaks up families and scatters them far and wide. Pride makes you think you are better than someone else. Pride stops people from accepting Jesus as their savior. 
Psalm 10:4 In his pride the wicked does not seek God; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. 
Bury pride where it belongs - in the dirt.

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THE LINK BETWEEN STRENGTH AND DAYS

Deuteronomy 33:25 '...and as your days, so shall your strength be.'
This verse is very clear that days and strength go hand in hand.
Not weeks, or months, or years, but days.
With each given day comes the strength we need to face and handle that day.
Each day we need His fresh mercies and His fresh grace and that will carry us through.
The Lord will provide the strength we need for everything that comes our way, day by day and one by one.
Somehow we are designed to be able to manage today.
We are able to look today's challenges in the face and overcome.
Even the heaviest load can be managed for a day, even if we have to take it moment by moment.
But tomorrow, that is unknown and not guaranteed and there is no strength provided for it. But if tomorrow comes, with it will come the strength from the Lord that we need.

ONE DAY AT A TIME - THE PATTERN OF GOD AND A PATTERN FOR US

Even the example that God set for us works on this principle.
Genesis 1:5 God called the light "day," and the darkness He called "night." And there was evening and there was morning - the first day.
Our Lord worked on the principle of day by day.
Each aspect of creation was wrapped up in the concept of a day.
Each day would have a beginning and an end and God would see that it was good.
There are things that can add to our lives and there are things that can rob us in our lives.
Living one day at a time is the secret to happy and faithfulled lives.
Jude 1:20 'But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith...'
A key to building ourselves up in our faith is in living one day at a time and making the best use of that time we are given.
Time is given to us in little compartments called days.
These compartments are special gifts and treasures from the Lord Himself.
Just do the bit of God's will He intended for you today on the specific day and the rest will take care of itself.
Each day is an opportunity to be taken, harnessed and celebrated.

WHAT DID JESUS SAY?
Matthew 6:34 'Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.'
I like the older version of this verse:
'Take... no thought for the morrow!'
We live in a world dominated by fear, anxiety, depression and stress and these all relate to the future.
Our Lord's advice to us is that we have nothing to do with the future.
Each day has its own requirements, needs, pressures, successes, joys and griefs.
God will always give us the strength we need for the day and for all He places in that day in His purpose and plan to work all things out for our good.
Charles Kingsley wrote the following:
'Do today's duty, fight today's temptation and do not weaken and distract yourself by looking forward to the things we cannot see, and could not understand if you saw them.'
Jesus said the following: 'Give us this day our daily bread.' Matthew 6:11

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DAILY BENEFITS
Psalm 68:19 'Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.'
Three thoughts to remember:

1. DAILY
The original Hebrews indicates that the benefits come on a day by day basis.

2. BENEFITS
The benefits include His kindness, His goodness and His provision.
The benefits, besides being our practical daily needs, is ultimately God Himself.
His benefits know no limits.
He could come through for you in any variety of ways. He gave His children manna in the desert. He opened up the sea in front of them so they could cross. The Lord knows of paths and ways of doing things that we haven't even thought about.

3. LOADS US
When something comes in loads, it does not just mean the bare essentials.
It means all we need, more than enough and enough that we in turn can be a blessing to others.
But it all comes back to the key phrase 'DAILY'.
It does not say monthly or annually, or when the need arises, or when your ship comes in.
We simply have to trust Him each and every day.

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Exodus 16:1-34
In this God provided what the people needed on a daily basis.
Each day they could collect and use what there was available.
None could be kept for the following day.
No amount of what God has provided for a specific day could be hoarded and kept for the next day or later use.
Exodus 16:19-20 Moses said to them, "No one is to keep any of it until morning." However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell.
What is it that causes us to hoard?
I don't know if you have ever met a hoarder, someone who stores up unnecessary and often useless things. It is often done in secret.
Hoarding often flows out of fear and forgetfulness about God's faithfulness.
Hoarding can exhaust us.
Habakkuk 2:13 '... the nations exhaust themselves for nothing?'
When we lose sight of God and His promised daily provision we can get caught up in this mindset.
The antidote is trusting.
We need to rest and remember and remind ourselves of His faithfulness.
Exodus 16:23-24 This is what the Lord commanded: 'Tomorrow is to be a day of Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.' So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it.
The Sabbath was a day to remember and rest and in the process what was gathered lasted.
When it comes to the eternal things of God, those we can gather and they will last!
Matthew 6:19-20 'Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.'
Charles Studd wrote the following: 'Only one life, 'twill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last.'
God provided for them in this daily way for 40 years.

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LIVING IN THE PAST
Many people choose to live in the past.
It's almost as though the 'good old days' were the best days and so we live in that place.
We all know someone who lives in this way.
They can tell you of dates and times and precious and wonderful memories and they almost carry a form of sadness, because they think that the future could never be as good as the past.
Living in this way is like dragging dead baggage through the present and into the future.
We do have the 'precious memories' of life that add to the rich fabric of life, but how did God tell us to live our lives?
Isaiah 43:18 'Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.'
Living in the past is not the way God designed us to live.
In fact we are told to be radical about dealing with the past. The words the Bible uses are 'forget' and 'do not dwell'.
God tells us this because in Him we have so much more to look forward to.
He wants to do new and wonderful things in our lives.
Isaiah 43:19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
With the Lord in our lives, the best is yet to come.

LIVING IN THE FUTURE
Some people live in the future.
They focus on the possibilities and pitfalls that could and may lie ahead.
They usually have a goal and they are headed towards that goal.
When I am finished school - then I will start living.
When I get my degree - then I will start living.
When I get married - then I will start living.
When I have children - then I will start living.
When the children are out of the house - then I will start living.
When I retire - then I will start living.
The joy they are longing for is an elusive thing that somehow and somewhere will make itself visible one day out there in tomorrow.
The thing about the future is that it is completely unknown and it is never guaranteed.
When we live in tomorrow we are truly putting our hope in nothing.
Other people feel compelled to pull tomorrow's cares and concerns into today.
They can't just leave it in God's hands, but they have to carry concerns about which they know nothing and burden today with them.
When we live in the future our guiding companion can be fear itself.
The Lord has not given us the strength for tomorrow today.

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Life has a way of distracting us and keeping us away from the moments that God gives us.
One issue leads to another issue and the urgent things keep demanding our attention so that the important things are left to later.
We end up in a kind of 'survival mode' where we just get through the day and sometimes wish the time away.
We can even get to the point that we say when we are done with 'this' then we will start enjoying life.
I have always been a visionary person by nature. I have always been involved in ministry and the things that concern God's kingdom and have been so aware of the eternal dimension. Recently as we have faced our own challenges as a family, I have begun to see that life is not only about tomorrow, but it is more about today and what God wants to do today. - Living one day at a time isn't always easy, but it's what God has told us to do.
It is His recipe for our lives.
It reminds me of an old hymn:
'Moment by moment, I'm kept in His love,
Moment by moment I've life from above;
Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine;
Moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine.'
We have a family friend and he told us that he always wrote the following statement in his annual diary: 'There are only two days in my life, this day and that day!' (When I will see Him face to face).
This is how we are called to live our lives.

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LIVING ONE DAY AT A TIME

Many people live in a day and time that has not yet arrived.
They live worried about tomorrow or the future and in the process they miss the moment they have in front of them.
We should consciously enjoy the day we have.
We should live today as if it was our last day.

Matthew 6:34 ‘Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’

Matthew 6:25 ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?’

Luke 10:41 ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things!’

Don’t live worried and upset about many things.
Live for the moment.
Live in the present and not in the past or in the future.
Be present in the present.
Living in the past leads to regret and living in the future leads to fear.
Living in the moment is the key to finding fulfillment.

RECEIVING NEW MERCY

God is a faithful God.
He is your faithful God.
His word tells us that His mercies are new every morning.

Lamentations 3:23 ‘Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.

We need to live with the knowledge that each day we can start afresh and receive His new mercies.
Don’t drag your past mistakes, failures and disappointments from yesterday into your today.

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How we live our lives is vitally important.
There are principles that guide each one of us.
These could be positive or negative guidelines by which we live our lives.
If we will live by God’s principles, we can expect to see His favour and blessing on our lives.
If we live by what ‘seems good unto us’ it can often take us down a path we would later regret.
Have you ever considered what are the guidelines or principles by which you live your life?
Are there some that should be changed or substituted with God’s principles?
If we can discover these principles and develop them into spiritual disciplines, we will be able to make sense of life.
The earlier we discover and apply these, the better, but it is never too late to begin!
They are like spiritual disciplines that we can apply to our daily lives.
Here are some of those guidelines and principles to help you get started.

FORGIVENESS

We can live a life during which we can receive forgiveness for God.
1 John 1:9 ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.’

Jesus paid for our sins in full – we can know what it means to be forgiven.

Colossians 2:14 ‘He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.’

God has removed our sin from us.

Psalm 103:12 ‘As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.’

Have you ever thought why the Bible says that God has removed our sin from us as far as the East is from the West? Why did He not say as far as the North is from the South? This is one of the greatest picture of God’s love. The North and South pole are definite points. You can actually go to those spots. By there is no East or West pole. When you get there you can still go further to the East. So in a very real sense, when God says He has removed our transgressions as far as the East is from the West it means that He has totally and forever removed it.
Forgiveness is not just something we receive; it is also something we can give!

?Mark 11:25 ‘And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.’

How often we long for mercy for ourselves and our mistakes but we demand justice when others make mistakes or do us harm.
Our lives should be guided by the principle of receiving forgiveness and extending forgiveness.
Perhaps there is an area in your life or past that you need to bring to the feet of God and ask Him to forgive you. Do it now!
Perhaps there is someone that you have not released and you still carry and IOU. It’s time to take a moment and extend forgiveness to them. Do it now!

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WE ARE ENCOURAGED TO BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS.
Just as God encouraged Joshua to be strong and courageous so He wants to do the same for each of us.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." NIV
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." NKJ
Joshua 1:9 "Yes, be bold and strong! Banish fear and doubt! For remember, the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." LIVING 
Today you and I are being encouraged to be strong just as Joshua was encouraged to be strong.

THE NATURE OF DISMAY
Dismay is something that powerfully influences people.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." NKJ
What is this dismay?
Dismay is another word for discouragement.
The dictionary calls it horrified amazement.
It is when we become disheartened and fearful.
It becomes a reality when people lose hope.
We are encouraged not to be dismayed.

GOD IS WITH YOU
This is a great joy.
That God can be with us.
For this very reason we don't need to get discouraged.
Joshua 1:9 The Lord your God is with you.
Joshua 1:5 I will never leave you nor forsake you.
It is for this reason that we are strong.
This is the fact and this is the foundation.
Because of this we can be strong and courageous.
Because we can resist fear, discouragement, hopelessness and dismay.
God is with us.
Be strong!

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WITH GOD WE ARE STRONG
When God is with us we can be strong.
If God is not with us we have a reason to be weak.
God promised Joshua His presence.
Joshua 1:5 As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
We can know that God is with us.
This should be a source of great strength.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE STRONG?
It is the ability to resist and stand firm.
Resist what?
Fear
Discouragement
Dismay
Doubt
AND stand firm.
Hold our ground.
Being in a place of confident assurance in God.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE COURAGE?
The main aspect of courage is being BOLD and FEARLESS.
It can be compared to words like: Daring, Adventurous (stepping out), Stouthearted, and Brave.
God wants us to be courageous.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." NKJ
If He is with us we can.
This is the key.
His presence.
Without it we are powerless.

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Have you ever felt weak and discouraged?
These are common human emotions.
We all go through them from time to time.
Even the great men of the Bible were faced with this.
But in these situations God was faithful.
God can be relied upon.
However, He calls for us to be strong.

AN EXAMPLE FROM THE BIBLE
In the book of Joshua we see an example of this.
Here we see Joshua, a man chosen by God.
He has one of the greatest tasks in history.
To take the Jewish nation into the promised land.
But he was fearful, discouraged and full of doubt.
Sometimes we are a bit like that.
But God encouraged Joshua all the time to be strong and courageous.

HOW GOD ENCOURAGED JOSHUA
i. God encouraged Joshua by His presence.
ii. God encouraged Joshua by His instructions to Joshua to be strong and courageous.
God encourages Joshua in this way on 3 occasions.
Joshua 1:6 Be strong and courageous.
Joshua 1:7 Be strong and very courageous.
Joshua 1:9 Be strong an courageous.
Perhaps God is wanting to encourage you in the same way, today.

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THE HOLY SPIRIT MAKES US DIFFERENT

Acts 6:15 ‘All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.’
There was something completely different about Stephen.
It seems as if he had a ‘divine radiance’.
The scripture tells us that his face was like that of an angel and his accusers could not take their eyes off of him.
It says that the people in the council noticed something different and they ‘fixed their eyes on him’, ‘they looked steadfastly at him’, ‘they looked intently at him’ and ‘they stared at him’.
The council was angry but yet they were noticing something different about this man Stephen.
The truth is that when we are full of the Holy Spirit something about us changes.
It seems like his face was glowing in some way.
It reminds us of Moses when he came down from the mountain and from being in the presence of God.
Exodus 34:29 ‘When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hand, he did not know that the skin of his face was shining [with a unique radiance] because he had been speaking with God.’
It is time we begin to see more of this strange and wonderful phenomenon.
The key is the Holy Spirit Who makes the connection with God a reality.

AN OPEN HEAVEN

Acts 7:55-56 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
Here we see how Stephen sees ‘heaven open’.
He has a revelation of heaven.
An open heaven represents a direct connection between heaven and earth.
The bottom line is that in these unique moments God becomes more real.
We all desire that God would be more real.
It all starts as we are full of the Holy Spirit.
Let us pursue His Holy Spirit in our daily lives.
Let us hunger and thirst for more of His Holy Spirit.

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WHEN WE LIVE LIFE ‘FULL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT’ IT OPENS DOORS FOR US

Stephen was a man who was full of the Holy Spirit.
When it came to appointing people to handle the responsibilities and functions of ministry he was the obvious choice because of this qualification.
Acts 6:5 ‘And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.’
When we begin to operate under the influence of the Holy Spirit we become an asset and we bring value into the situation where we are.
In the situation in the book of Acts, we see the early day of the New Testament church. As the church grew and developed, pressures and responsibilities arose and these needed to be attended too. As a plan was devised to attend to these practical and important aspects. The plan was to appoint seven people who would pick up these responsibilities. The qualification for these positions was that these people should be ‘full of the Holy Spirit’.
It is such an awesome thought that no matter what needed to be done regardless of whether if it was menial or practical, the qualification was the same: ‘Full of the Holy Spirit’.
The truth of the matter is that there is something holy and sanctified about the practical issues of life.
The job you do, the parental role you are playing, the aspect of being a provider or simple the example that you set by the way you live your life is important, holy and sanctified.
Sometimes we write off things because we feel they are ‘small things’, but I have discovered that there are no such things as ‘small things’.
We need the Holy Spirit in every way and in every aspect of our daily lives.
Stephen was a man who was like this and as a result he was the obvious choice and the door was opened for him to become a recognised role player.
I believe that as you and I seek to live our lives ‘full of the Holy Spirit’ it will open doors for us too.
When we operate under the influence of The Holy Spirit and we are faithful over our everyday responsibilities, further doors will open.
Matthew 25:21 ‘you have been faithful over a few things; I will make you ruler over many things.

WHEN WE RESIST THE HOLY SPIRIT WE ARE WHAT THE BIBLE CALLS ‘STIFF-NECKED’

Acts 7:51 ‘You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!’
We should never resist the moving and the working of the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes He may move in ways we don’t like or in ways we don’t prefer, but we should not allow that to upset us.

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WE SHOULD DESIRE TO BE ‘FULL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT’

Acts 6:3 ‘Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.’
Acts 6:5 ‘…and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit…’
What an awesome thing for people to be able to say about you.
Can people say this about you?
Is one of the ways that people describe you as ‘full of the Holy Spirit’?
This is a wonderful compliment.
I pray that others would be able to say this about my life.
Stephen must have been a man who desired and pursued this aspect in His life.
It did not happen by accident or by default, but rather by quality decision and choice.
We can also make those quality decisions and choices for our own lives.

THE HOLY SPIRIT TAKES US FROM ORDINARY TO EXTRAORDINARY

The Holy Spirit makes all the difference in our lives.
My late father had been in ministry for about 8 years before he discovered the person and work of the Holy Spirit in his own life. From that point on everything changed and his life and ministry went from ordinary, to quite frankly, extraordinary. Years later I wanted to document all his sermons over the years so that we could use them in future. I discussed it with him and he told me to completely disregard all his messages prior to the infilling of the Holy Spirit in his life. He regarded those messages of little or no value compared to the difference the Holy Spirit made in his life and the resultant subsequent messages/sermons. I told him that he was being too hard on himself, but he told me that that was not the case, but that was how important the life transforming person of the Holy Spirit actually was, that anything done without His influence should be disregarded.
If we are truly yielded to the Holy Spirit, there is no stopping point to what He can do in and through us.
Acts 6:8 ‘Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.’
Here was a man who must have been gifted administratively, but because of the Holy Spirit, the Lord used him greatly beyond his natural gifting.
Acts 6:9-10 ‘Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called) --Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia-- who began to argue with Stephen. But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.’
He moved from ordinary to, quite frankly, extraordinary.
The Holy Spirit’s influence moved from natural to supernatural.

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The role that the Holy Spirit plays in our lives, if we will give Him right of way, is greater than we could ever imagine.
In this study we are looking at the life of Stephen.
He was considered to be the first martyr and stood out because he was described as a man who was “Full of the Holy Spirit.”
Stephen was a man whose life was transformed and changed by the Spirit of God.
We even see similarities between his death and the death of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Although we do not know much about him, his life leaves an example for us. 
You can read the story in Acts chapter 6 and 7.

THE HOLY SPIRIT WANTS TO TRANSFORMS US

The influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives leads to transformation.
He wants to take us from one degree of glory to another.
Change and growth, in a Christian’s life is an indication that the individual is allowing the transforming power of the Holy Spirit to be active in their lives.
When you stop being transformed you have stopped allowing the Holy Spirit to influence you.
2 Corinthians 3:18 ‘And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.’
This transformation should be an ongoing part of our Christian experience.
The transformation is that we should become more and more like Him – Transformed into His image.
This transformation should not be two steps forward and then one step back process. It should be a transformation of ‘ever-increasing glory’.

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SUSTAINED AND SUPPORTED
The word sustained also means to be supported. God did not intend for us to walk through life unaided. God’s desire is that as we go through life we know His support and carrying power. He wants to support us all the way. 
Ruth 4:15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. 
Isaiah 46:4 Even to your old age and grey hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

SUSTAINED BY GOD
This is an offer that God makes to you and me. He offers to sustain us and carry us each step of the way. Will we hold on to our worries and cares or will we give them to Him and allow Him to carry them for us and as a result be sustained by God? Let these words sustain you today. 
Jeremiah 15:16 Your words are what sustain me; they are food to my hungry soul. 
Psalm 3:5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.

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SUSTAINED SO THAT WE WILL NOT FALL
We are all challenged by the prospect of falling. Life has many challenges and each step of the way there is plenty of opportunity to fall. We need divine help to see us through. 
Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall. 
Psalm 63:8 My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me. 
God wants to sustain us by helping us stand and to help us stay standing, to hold us up and to continue to uphold us.

TO DECIDE IN OUR FAVOUR
This aspect is even more special. In court when a request or a decision is upheld, the judge sustains it. Perhaps you have heard that statement when a judge declares the word ‘sustained’. In essence when this happens the judge decides in favour of the request. In the same way God wants to sustain your requests and wants to decide in your favour. 
Psalm 119:116 Sustain me according to Your promise, and I will live. 

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SUSTAINED SO THAT WE CAN ENDURE
God wants to sustain us so that we can endure until we see a breakthrough. I believe that God has a breakthrough in store for each one of us. We must not give up too soon or become impatient. We must allow God to sustain us so that we can endure until we get to the point of victory and release. 
Psalm 54:4 God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.
Often we face seasons that we do not understand or cannot see the purpose in, BUT God has a plan. He will help you.

SUSTAINED OVER TIME
God does not simply want to sustain in short bursts. God wants us to know His on-going sustaining power each day of life. There is an interesting story in the Old Testament. It concerns the nation of Israel. They left Egypt and wandered in a wilderness for forty years. This was a difficult and extended period for them. Yet God sustained them through it all. 
Nehemiah 9:21 For forty years You sustained them in the desert; they lacked nothing, their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen.
This is what can happen when God sustains us. Even the things that would usually wear out and bring extra trouble will last. In all those years God never deserted His people. He sustained through the entire experience. God wants to do the same for you and for me.

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We all carry cares and concerns in our hearts. We all face issues that would endeavour to get us down. Yet in all this, God wants to step into our lives and sustain us. We can either sustain ourselves, and get exhausted, or be sustained by God and have renewed strength. God wants to sustain you. It does not matter what you are facing or what you are going through, God wants to sustain us every step of the way. As we give our concerns and ourselves to God, He can step in and begin to sustain us.

CARRY THE WEIGHT
The meaning of the word sustain includes a unique aspect. To sustain also means to bear the weight of something. An example is living under continued pressure and stress. We can say that a person sustains a pressured life. I remember a lady who was going through a difficult situation. When I tried to help her, she said to me that she has got broad shoulders and she can handle it. This is what you call carrying a weight or sustaining yourself. God has told us that He wants to sustain us IF only we would hand Him our worries and cares. 
Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you.
This means that God wants to carry the weight for us. We must learn to let go and give it to God.

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YOUR ULTIMATE DESTINATION IS SECURE

If we know our ultimate destination is secure, we can rest in God regarding the journey.
A friend shared this illustration with me:
You arrive at the airport to book a flight, the person assisting you tells you that they have two options available to you.
The plane doesn’t look as good, the inflight entertainment leaves a lot to be desired, the flight might be a bit bumpy but they can guarantee arrival at your destination.
The plane looks fantastic, they fly higher than most, superb meals and inflight entertainment, quiet and smooth but they can’t guarantee that you’ll arrive at your destination.
Which flight will you take?
You and I have chosen the flight in which the final destination is secure.
The journey may not always be ideal, but the destination is secure and therefore anything we may face is manageable and ‘overcomer-able’ because the destination is secure.

DON’T MISS THE MOMENT

In the process of the journey, we can sometimes loose perspective and we miss the moment.
Perhaps we can become obsessed with the goal that we had had in mind.
The truth is life is about the journey.
Each leg of the journey has its own opportunities and joys.
We should get to the stage where we consciously enjoy every moment.
Our attitude should be one of ‘finding joy in the journey’.
We each have our story, and God wants that story to be a beautiful tapestry of all our experiences and ultimately His hand in weaving it all together into something good and something special that gives us our unique testimony and story.
Romans 8:28 ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.’
Let Him turn things around for you.
Let HIM ‘work ALL things together’ for your good.
Make loving God your priority and remember that you are called according to His purposes.
Genesis 50:20 ‘You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.’
Jeremiah 29:11 ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’

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The word ‘besieged’ is a military term that means to be surrounded by enemy forces.
In old days cities were besieged in order to attack and conquer them.
That is why they would say things like: ‘The army besieged the castle’. It involves surrounding and attacking a fortified place in order to isolate it from help and force surrender.
It is any persistent effort to overcome resistance or long period of trouble.
The danger is that during a siege, the besieged can destroy themselves.
The besiege mentality is a feeling of victimization and defensiveness.
It is a state of mind where we think we are constantly under attack.
In the same way sometimes we can live with a besieged mentality.
We begin to believe that we are under attack on every side.
We can even develop an ‘us against them’ mentality.
To break besiege mentality, we must get rid of victimization, change how we talk, choose joy, and get out of the trenches.
This is not to say that we do not face attack, but it is not always an attack.
It could be the result of choices we have made, it could just be things that happen in the course of life, and it could be something God is allowing in our lives to set us up for the next great plan he has for us.
Just think of the life of Joseph. If he was not thrown into the pit, he would never have been sold into slavery. If he was not sold into slavery, he would never have ended up in Egypt. If he was not falsely accused, he would never have ended up in prison. If he had not ended up in prison, he would not have made the connection to Pharaoh. If he had not made the connection to Pharaoh, he would not have been in a position to save the Egyptian nation and ultimately his own family and nation.
Genesis 41:57 “All the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain.”
If anyone could have felt like he was besieged it was Joseph.
He went from bad to worse and yet today his story is one of the remarkable stories that inspire and encourage us.
I believe he won the battle by choosing the right attitude at each turn on the journey of his life and ultimately he emerged as one of the great people that God used.
Let us not live with a besieged mentality.
Living with a besieged mentality is like living life with your foot on the brake.
This attitude or mindset can rob us and undermine God’s plan and purpose for our lives.
Let us move beyond this way of thinking.

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THE RICH FABRIC OF LIFE

I recently read a story about a family who had been farmers for generations. They loved their farm and worked it faithfully and productively. Then due to reasons beyond their control they were dispossessed of their land. It was a traumatic and devastating hurdle in the journey of their lives. When they were interviewed by a journalist about what had happened, they were asked if they were bitter and angry and they owner said no, he was not, but it was part of the ‘rich fabric of life’.
Often the experiences we go through can be seen as tragic or devastating, or we can see the experiences along life’s journey as part of the rich fabric of life.
It calls for a different attitude.
If we have this attitude we can handle things with a better understanding and come out the other side without being destroyed.
Have you ever looked at a tapestry?
If you look at the finished product it is something beautiful.
But if you zoom in on a small section it looks like a mess, confusing and illogical. But as you step back, everything begins to fall into place and the picture emerges.

THE GOD ON THE MOUNTAIN IS STILL GOD IN THE VALLEY

Sometimes we may think that when things are going right and things are going our way and we are having a ‘mountain experience’ that God is there for us. Then when we face a ‘valley experience’ and things are not going as we would like, we may think that He has forgotten about us.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The God of the mountain is still god in the valley.
Year ago I heard a song ‘GOD ON THE MOUNTAIN’.
This song spoke into my heart and that fact and reality became real to me.
Here are the words of that song:

Life is easy, when you're up on the mountain
and you've got peace of mind, like you've never known.
But things change, when you're down in the valley.
Don't lose faith, for you're never alone.
Chorus: For the God on the mountain, is the God in the valley. When things go wrong, He'll make them right. And the God of the good times is still God in the bad times. The God of the day is still God in the night.
We talk of faith way up on the mountain.
Talk comes so easy when life's at its best.
Now down in the valleys, of trials and temptations
that’s where your faith, is really put to the test.
Chorus: For the God on the mountain, is the God in the valley. When things go wrong, He'll make them right. And the God of the good times is still God in the bad times. The God of the day is still God in the night.

Psalm 84:5-7 ‘Blessed are those whose strength is in You, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. 6 As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. 7 They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.’

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The course of life is never as we had hoped or predicted.
Often we encounter unexpected hurdles and challenges.
As a young man, I had my whole life mapped out in front of my eyes. I had dreams and visions about how things would work out. The future looked bright and unassailable. But life began to unfold in very different ways to what I had anticipated. Today my life looks nothing like what I had thought it would, but I have learned through the process and I can declare that God has been faithful through it all. In fact, today, my life is a testimony to the trials and processes that I have been through and as I look at the big picture, it is something to celebrate and thank God for.
Romans 8:28 ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.’
It is the Lord who ‘takes all things’ and ‘works them together’ for our good.
He may not do it in the way that we had thought it would be, be He still does it.
This scripture is clear that He takes ‘ALL’ things and works them out for our good.
He does not just take the good things, but He also takes that bad things that happen and uses them to His glory.
So we can rest in Him.
He will take all the things we face and go through and He will weave it into something good.

LIFE IS ABOUT THE JOURNEY, NOT THE DESTINATION

Life is a journey.
The journey has stops and turns, many of which we cannot foresee.
The book ‘PILGRIM’S PROGRESS’ by John Bunyan is a story about the journey.
In this book John Bunyan looks at some of the things that we face in the course of life.
He identifies many different aspects and gives them unique names: ‘Difficulty Hill, Palace Beautiful, Valley of Humiliation, Valley of the Shadow of Death, Doubting Castle and Giant of Despair, Delectable Mountains and Dark River.
All these different aspects, and others, made up the course of the pilgrim’s journey.
As we face the different aspects along the route that life takes us, the journey of life begins to unfold in the process.
If we are only focused on the destination, we may feel that the dynamics of the journey are a distraction to the fulfillment of the vision we may have had.
But it is the different aspects of life that become the journey of our lives.
We need to get to the point where we ‘discover’ that the life is about the journey and not about the destination.
The life of Joseph is an example of this dynamic.
Joseph had a dream of what would become of his life. But before that could be realized he was taken down the journey of life. The journey included rejection, abandonment, slavery, false accusations, imprisonment and being forgotten. During all these tests be came out on top of the situation and God turned things around.
Today we look at the life of Joseph and we see a tapestry of issues and happenings that all played a part in God’s great plan for Joseph and the people of Israel.
We look at his journey and we are encouraged and inspired, not just because of the final outcome, but because of the process and the journey that led to the final outcome.
Imagine the story of Joseph without the journey?
It seems unimaginable.
Your journey has a purpose and your process is not without a divine plan.

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GOD’S HAND INFLUENCES OUR LIVES & OUR CIRCUMSTANCES

The influence of God’s hands causes us to do that which God wants us to do.
2 Chronicles 30:12 At the same time, God’s hand was on the people in the land of Judah, giving them a strong desire to unite in obeying the orders of the king and his officials, who were following the word of the Lord.
Look at this link: God’s hand was on the people – they had a strong desire to follow the word of the Lord.
If we will allow God’s hand to work in our lives, we too will have a desire to follow what God tells us to do.
The hand of the Lord gives us favor.
Nehemiah 2:8 Because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.
What an amazing thought.

GOD’S HAND WILL NEVER LEAVE US!

No matter what we may go through or experience, we can know that God’s hand will be with us.
His hand will never leave us.
It may feel as though His hand is removed, but this is not the truth.
Isaiah 49:14-16 But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.”  “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved (written your name or tattooed a picture of or inscribed) you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.
Even more interesting to note is that we cannot leave God’s hand.
Psalm 139:7-10 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me; Your right hand will hold me fast.
God’s hand will never leave you!
Because of this great fact, you and I can have confidence to trust God and believe Him in every aspect of life.

PUT YOU HAND IN HIS OPEN HAND TODAY!

Now is the time to re-establish this connection.
Perhaps you have tried to do it too long on your own and in your own strength.
Put you hand in His hand today!
Matthew 14:31-32 Instantly Jesus reached out His hand and caught and held him, saying to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt?? ?And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.?
Take the hand of God and let Him get into your boat.
When He is in your boat things will change.
Put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the waters.
Put you hand in the hand of the man who clamed the sea.
By putting your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee.
Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

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THE HAND OF GOD IS AN OPEN HAND

Years ago there used to be a bank that had a catch phrase ‘YOUR HELPING HAND FOR LIFE!’ I am not sure which bank it was. The bank has gone but the truth of the phrase, as it applies to God, lives on.
God’s hand is YOUR HELPING HAND FOR LIFE!
God’s hand is open, it is not closed.
If you see God’s hand as closed I hope that today you will change the way you think!
Psalm 145:16 You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing with favor.?
Psalm 104:28 You open Your hand, and they are filled with good things.?
I want to say that the hand of God is open to you today and He is reaching out to you and all you need to do is take hold of His open hand.
Closed hands are a sign of withholding, open hands are a sign of giving.
Even the way Jesus died was with His arms outstretched and His hands nailed open – never to be shut!

GOD’S HAND HAS A HAND IN EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIVES

Each and every aspect of our lives is marked by the touch of the hand of God.
This includes our birth and our death.
Psalm 119:73 Your hands have made me and fashioned (formed) me.
Right from the start of life God’s hand has played a role.
Even the time of our deaths include God’s hand.
Psalm 31:15 My times are in Your hands!
And ALL along the road of life His hand is ready to help.
Psalm 119:173 May your hand be ready to help me.

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I believe we all desire to know the ‘Hand of God’ in our lives.
When we speak about THE HAND OF GOD we are speaking about two things.
His involvement in our lives.
His physical help and strength to see us through.
I have discovered how much I need this in my life.
In a sense I want to you and I to take hold of God’s hand today. To reach out and place our hand in His hand so that we can receive whatever it is that we need for life.
There was an old song with the following words:
Put your hand in the hand of the Man who stilled the waters.
Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea.
Take a look at yourself and you look at others differently.
By putting your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee.
We need to take hold of God’s hand and place our hand in His hand today!

PETER TAKES HOLD OF JESUS’ HAND

One of the best loved stories in the New Testament is the story about Peter and how he got out of the boat and walked on the water.
Let’s take a look at this amazing story.
Matthew 14:22-32
Just note how when Peter began to sink, he cried out to Jesus and he said: ‘LORD SAVE ME!’ Perhaps you have felt like that at times?
Look at Jesus’ response - Instantly Jesus reached out His hand and CAUGHT and HELD him!
Jesus took his and held him.
In our sinking moments this is just what God wants to do for us!
STORY – When my Nissan ended up in the bottom of the garden.
We can reach out to God and take hold of His hand.
He is ready to take us by the hand and He is ready to take hold of us.
We may feel abandoned but in the critical moment when we call His hand will be within reach!
Look how long the disciples spent battling the storm before Jesus arrived to save them.
His timing is always impeccable.
Sometimes even when we are in the perfect will of God, we still need His hand!
Psalm 144:7 Stretch forth Your hand from above; rescue me and deliver me out of great waters.

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WE SHOULD ENJOY GOD’S PRESENCE HAVING AN ATTITUDE OF BROKENNESS BEFORE HIM

Psalm 34:18 The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.
This should be our personal attitude towards God.
We should be too willing to put things write with God and others.
We should live with a tender heart.
God does not tolerate hard hearts.
God does not tolerate self-righteous hearts.
He is looking for those whose hearts are open and tender.
Then we can know His presence.
Then we can enjoy Him.
This is key number six.

THE REWARD OF GOD’S HELP

If we can apply these aspects to our lives, then God wants to come through for us.
God wants to deliver, guard and protect.
He does NOT say that there will be no problems.
But He does say that He will rescue and protect.
Psalm 34:19 The good man does not escape all troubles—he has them too. But the Lord helps him in each and every one.

GOD WANTS TO SAVE US

That is His plan for us.
Psalm 34:22 But as for those who serve the Lord, he will redeem them; everyone who takes refuge in him will be freely pardoned.
To save us and forgive us.
What a great God we serve.
These are the keys to the good, long life that God promises.
Lets use them and expect God to come through for us.

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GO FOR PEACE

Psalm 34:14 Seek peace and pursue it.
Look for peace and follow it with determination.
Psalm 34:14 Try to live in peace with everyone; work hard at it. (Living)
Work hard at living in peace with others.
Do not become offended or pick up other peoples offences.
But go for peace.
Romans 12:18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Hebrews 12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy.
This is the fourth key to a long, good life.

FOLLOW RIGHTEOUSNESS

This speaks of right living.
Psalm 34:15-17 For the eyes of the Lord are intently watching all who live good lives, and he gives attention when they cry to him. 16But the Lord has made up his mind to wipe out even the memory of evil men from the earth. 17Yes, the Lord hears the good man when he calls to him for help and saves him out of all his troubles.
Another version refers to this aspect of good living as righteousness.
Let’s look at God’s response to those who are living right:

1. The eyes of the Lord are intently watching those individuals.
2. He gives attention when they cry to Him.
3.  He hears the good man.
4. God saves/delivers such a person out of ALL his troubles.

What a reward, what a blessing.
Who would not want that?
This is the fifth key to a long and a good life.

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WATCH WHAT YOU SAY

Psalm 34:13 Then watch your tongue! Keep your lips from lying.
Our tongues are very powerful.
We need to be careful about what we say.
James 3:3-5 We can make a large horse turn around and go wherever we want by means of a small bit in his mouth. 4And a tiny rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot wants it to go, even though the winds are strong. So also the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. A great forest can be set on fire by one tiny spark.
Matthew 12:36 And I tell you this, that you must give account on Judgment Day for every idle word you speak.
James 1:19 Dear brothers, don’t ever forget that it is best to listen much, speak little, and not become angry.
The second key to a good, long life, is watching what we say.

TURNING OUR BACKS ON EVIL AND DOING GOOD

Psalm 34:14 Turn from all known sin and spend your time in doing good.
The first thing here is to turn away from evil.
This is a deliberate action.
Turning away from evil thoughts, speech, acts and attitudes.
And then to do good.
Spend your time doing good.
This is where the Holy Spirit comes in.
He wants to empower us to do good.
This should be our way of life.
The way we spend our time.
How are you spending your time?

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God has good things in store for us.
He wants to be good to us.
At His right hand are pleasures evermore.
He wants His goodness to be a reality to us.
This goodness is available to us personally.
Available to us  as part of God’s church.
Available to us as a nation.
Psalm 34:12 Do you want a long, good life?
This is the question that David, the psalmist asked.
I am sure your answer is yes.
Yes to everything that God has for us.
Yes, to a life filled with the reality of the love and presence of God.
Well, David gives the keys.
And we are going to look at them today.

WE NEED TO LEARN TO TRUST AND FEAR THE LORD

Psalm 34:11 Sons and daughters, come and listen and let me teach you the importance of trusting and fearing the Lord.
It is important that we learn to trust and fear God.
This is something that we develop.
The result of our trusting and fearing of God we should also be obeying Him.
If you have just begun to trust God – KEEP IT UP.
If you have been walking a life of trusting and fearing God, then begin to obey and expect Him to show you Himself.
He wants to make Himself real to us.
This is key one to a good and long life.

1 Peter 3:10-12 f you want a happy, good life, keep control of your tongue, and guard your lips from telling lies. 11Turn away from evil and do good. Try to live in peace even if you must run after it to catch and hold it! 12For the Lord is watching his children, listening to their prayers; but the Lord’s face is hard against those who do evil.

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A FEW REASONS TO BE THANKFUL

1. Because of the fact that the Lord is always good.
2. Because of the fact that God always loves.
3. Because of the fact that God is always kind.
4. Because of God’s faithfulness.
5. Because of the fact that God wants to be faithful to your children and your grandchildren.

Psalm 100:4-5  Give thanks to him and bless his name. 5For the Lord is always good. He is always loving and kind, and his faithfulness goes on and on to each succeeding generation.
God is a great God we have a lot to be thankful for.

THE WAY TO THANKFULNESS

You can become thankful in the following way:

1. Think about three things that you can be thankful for.
2. Allow thankfulness to rise in your heart.
3. Develop a ‘thankful’ way of life.

Thankfulness needs to be an attitude and a way of life.
God is looking for those who have thankful hearts.

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THANKFULNESS IS AN ATTITUDE

At the end of it all thankfulness is an attitude.
1 Chronicles 16:24 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; His love and his kindness go on forever.
We can be thankful just because of the fact that God loves us.
Colossians 3:14 Let the peace of heart that comes from Christ be always present in your hearts and lives, for this is your responsibility and privilege as members of his body. And always be thankful.
Psalm 30:4-5 Oh, sing to him you saints of his; give thanks to his holy name. His anger lasts a moment; his favor lasts for life!
Lets have an attitude of thankfulness today.

PRAYER AND THANKFULNESS

The Bible indicates that there is a link between thankfulness and prayer.
We should be thankful for what God is going to do.
1 Timothy 2:1 Pray much for others; plead for God’s mercy upon them; give thanks for all he is going to do for them.
We need to remember to be thankful when God answers our prayers.
Colossians 4:2 Don’t be weary in prayer; keep at it; watch for God’s answers, and remember to be thankful when they come.
Our praying and our thankfulness go hand in hand.
Thankfulness should be our natural response to what God has done and our ‘faith-filled’ expectation of what He is going to do.

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ENCOURAGING EACH OTHER

We need to encourage each other to be thankful.
That is what I am attempting to do with these notes.
We should remind one another to be thankful.
Ephesians 5:4 Remind each other of God’s goodness, and be thankful.
God has been good in so many ways.
The scripture says that we should ‘be thankful’.
It sounds pretty decisive.
I see a determination that needs to be in our hearts.
We must settle it in our hearts that we will be thankful people no matter what everyone else is talking about.

THANKFUL IN EVERYTHING

This is an important aspect.
We sometimes think that we should only be thankful when circumstances are idea.
When all the promises are fulfilled, when we have all that we were expecting.
But God is looking for thankful hearts in the midst of our current situation and circumstances.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
Thankfulness in everything is not always easy, but it is always the right thing.

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WE CAN BE THANKFUL

You may feel that you have nothing to be thankful for.
As you read this you may be saying: ‘This person does not know my circumstances.’
That is true, but we can always find something to be thankful for.
Psalm 7:17 Oh, how grateful and thankful I am to the Lord because he is so good. I will sing praise to the name of the Lord who is above all lords.
Just think for a moment about something you can be thankful for.
I will give you a few examples: Family, Homes, Friends, Employment, Health, and the things you may have.
Focus on the things you can be thankful for.

APPROACHING GOD

As we approach God, it should be with thankfulness in our hearts.
Psalm 95:2 Come before him with thankful hearts.
As we come to God with the things on our hearts, lets us start with hearts that are thankful and appreciative.
I have a relative who is a thankful, grateful person. It is such a joy to be in her presence. She is thankful and appreciative for the smallest things. The strange thing is that she has had a hard life with many challenges and disappointments, yet she has remained thankful. It is a joy to be with her.
I am sure God looks forward to spending time with individuals who come to Him with hearts that are full of thanks.

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Thankfulness is a very vital aspect in our lives.
It is an important thing that we are thankful people towards God.
How thankful have you been lately?
I believe that we are expected to be thankful people.
Thankfulness or a thankful heart is characteristic of a true Christian.
Usually if someone is not thankful, they end up being ungrateful and often develop a lifestyle of grumbling.
God is looking for thankful people.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE THANKFUL?

To be thankful is to be consciously aware of the ways in which God has been good to you.
This conscious awareness of God’s goodness, love and kindness to us needs to become a standard in our lives.
To be thankful means that we are grateful and appreciative.
We appreciate what God has done for us.
Our hearts need to be filled with gratitude.
This is the lifestyle that we need to develop.

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THE REWARD

Rev 3:8 “I know you well; you aren’t strong, but you have tried to obey and have not denied my Name. Therefore I have opened a door to you that no one can shut.
A door – this speaks of opportunity.
The entrance to something wonderful.
Not a door that we must open.
But a door open by God Himself.
That no one can shut – including you.
No even you can get the door closed to what God has in store for you.
And all this just because we tried (attempted/endeavored) to obey God.
This should encourage you.

THE ENCOURAGEMENT

I believe God wants to encourage each of us.
He is coming soon – that’s the first encouragement.
Rev 3:11 Look, I am coming soon!
Then this great bit of advice.
Rev 3:11 Hold tightly to the little strength you have.
If you have just a little strength today – hold on to it.
You may feel like you just have a little bit of strength.
Hold onto it, don’t let it go - God will reward you.
Rev 3:11 Hold tightly to the little strength you have—so that no one will take away your crown.
God has a crown in store for those who have little strength.
What a great thought.

WE CAN BE OVERCOMERS

God is looking for overcomers.
What are overcomers?
I believe it is individuals who have held onto the little strength they have and have tried to hear and obey God.
I want to be an overcomer
A conqueror.
One, who after all that life can throw at me, still holds onto the strength that God has given me.
Rev 3:12 “As for the one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God; he will be secure and will go out no more.
The rewards are what I want.

I. A pillar in the temple of my God
In His presence
A pillar – something that can carry
II. Secure
No fear
Confident
III. Will go out no more
Never to be separated from His presence

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WE ARE NOT STRONG

I feel like this often.
I don’t always feel strong.
Rev 3:8 I know you well; you aren’t strong.
Hey that’s me.
Do you think it is possible that God knows this?
The fact that we are not always strong.
YES!
He knows.
He knows that we are made of dust.
He knows that we do not have the strength.

GOD IS LOOKING AT YOUR HEART

This is what God is concerned about.
He knows us - He knows that we are weak.
But what is the condition of our hearts.
Have we tried to obey Him?
Rev 3:8 I know you well; you aren’t strong, but you have tried to obey and have. not denied my Name.
When God sees us endeavoring to obey Him, it moves Him.
What does it mean to obey Him?
I believe it means that we seek and pursue Him and when we hear Him speak we do what He says.
I love the phrase: ‘but you have tried’
I want to encourage those who have tried to follow God - God it.
He is moved by it – don’t give up and don’t stop.

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Isn’t it wonderful to know that God knows us?
Sometimes we live as though God knows nothing of our situation.
But He does.
Today I am here to tell you that God knows you and your situation.
He is aware.
We need to hold on to the strength we have.
Because God has plans for each of us.

GOD KNOWS US

This is such a great thought.
It gives me great comfort.
Rev 3:8 I know you well.
Its like sometimes I am not sure that I know myself.
What does this mean?
It means that God is aware of who we are.
It means that He understands us.
It means that He can identify with us.
He is our greatest ally.
The person who knows us and wants the best for us.

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STAYING SALTY

As we stay connected to the source we can retain our saltiness or our effectiveness.
If we loose that connection we become useless.
Salt that has no saltiness has no value.
Matthew 5:13  If you lose your flavor, what will happen to the world? And you yourselves will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
Mark 9:50 “Good salt is worthless if it loses its saltiness; it can’t do anything.  So don’t lose your flavour! Live in peace with each other.”
Luke 14:34-35 What good is salt that has lost its saltiness?  Flavourless salt is fit for nothing – not even for fertilizer.  It is worthless and must be thrown out.

SALT AND THE HOLY SPIRIT

This is a very important aspect.
There is a peculiar quality about salt.
Salt is a hygroscopic substance.
What that means is that it attracts water.
Have you ever seen what happens to salt at the coast?
Water is a picture of the Holy Spirit.
Our lives need to be the same.
The way we live should attract the Holy Spirit and then we can be directed and led by Him.
That is what makes us, as salt, effective.
Matthew 5:13 You are the salt of the earth.  (NIV)

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THE IMPORTANCE OF SALT

As we mentioned a little earlier salt is an important component.
According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica there are more than 14000 uses for salt.
It is a very effective substance.
If we are ‘alive to God’ then we can also be effective in touching the lives of others.
The importance of salt is emphasised by its needs.
People need salt to remove the tastelessness of life.
People need salt to bring healing to life’s hurts.
People need salt to remove rottenness and to preserve them.
People need salt to remove the bitter and sad experiences that they have been through.
If we are salt, as Jesus said, we are important and play a vital role.
Without salt we can expect complaints.
Job 6:5-6 When wild donkeys bray, it is because their grass is gone; a man complains when there is no salt in his food.

CONNECTED TO THE SOURCE OF SALT

Where do we get our saltiness?
Matthew 5:13-16 You are the world’s seasoning, to make it tolerable. You are the world’s light—a city on a hill, glowing in the night for all to see. Don’t hide your light! Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father.
As Christians we need to be light and salt wherever we may be.
John 8:12 Later, Jesus said to the people, “I am the Light of the world. So if you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, for living light will flood your path.”
Jesus is our source of light and salt.
For us to remain effective we must stay connected to this source.

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SALT IS USED TO MELT SNOW

In many countries where snow and ice is a problem in winter, salt is used to melt the snow.
Canada is a country where salt is used to control the build up of snow and ice.
Ice is one of the most dangerous conditions for driving, but once salt has been applied the road surface is safer to use.
When applied to snow or ice, salt lowers the melting point of the mixture. Thus, large amounts are used in northern climates to help clear roads of accumulated snow and ice.
Many people have snow and ice in their hearts. Their hearts have accumulated coldness and hardness.
If we are going to be like salt we will be able to bring restoration to people with cold hearts.

SALT BRINGS HEALING

Salt has healing properties.
It is for this reason that many people go to the Dead Sea, for it’s therapeutic and healing qualities as a result of the high concentration of salt in the water.
We can bring healing and be a source of healing in the situations that we may find ourselves in.
We can be a source of healing to those around us.
You may have just what the person sitting next to you is looking for.
Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
Lets be a source of healing today. This can happen in a simple way as we encourage someone else

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SALT PRESERVES

Salt is a preservative. It makes things last longer.
In the early days when the sailing ships had no source of power, meat was preserved with salt.
In this way the lifespan of meat could be extended so that the food could last for the duration of the voyage.
I have a bucket; it looks a bit like a keg, which was used on ships.  It was designed to hold fish that was packed in salt and in this way the fish was preserved.
A dash of salt added to the water in a flower vase will keep cut flowers fresh longer.
To preserve means to maintain or retain the original quality.
This is what God wants us to be. We, as the salt of the earth, preserve this world.

SALT SEASONS

One of the primary purposes of salt is to bring flavour.
It removes tastelessness and brings flavour.
People are looking for flavour in life.
Have you heard the phrase: ‘variety is the spice of life’.
People are looking for this spice in life.
To many people life is tasteless, routine and dull with many bitter pills to swallow.
Food that has no flavour is not enjoyable; in the same way life without flavour is not a pleasure.
Jesus came that we may have life and have it more abundantly.
Jesus came to give us that life so that we could share it with others.
Matthew 5:13 “You are the world’s seasoning, to make it tolerable.  If you lose your flavour, what will happen to the world?

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Salt has a very important function & has many important qualities.
There is a great deal of salt on the earth.
Just think of the oceans and how much salt they contain.
It is said that there is enough salt in the oceans of the world to cover the entire land surface of the earth with 1 meter of salt.
Salt is one of the primary components of our lives.
Salt enhances the flavour of meat, brings out individuality of vegetables, puts "oomph" into bland starches, deepens the flavour of delicate desserts & develops the flavour of certain fruits. No other seasoning has yet been found that can take the place of salt.
The Bible draws a comparison between Christians and salt.
God obviously meant for us to understand the effect that salt has because we are meant to have the same effect.

WE ARE SALT

Matthew 5:13 You are the salt of the earth.  (NIV).These were the very words of Jesus.
Jesus was speaking to His followers as He spoke these words.
But what does it mean to be like salt?
What effect did Jesus want us to have on those around us?
Salt is a very effective substance in our lives and it has some unique properties that make us dependent on it.
God has placed within each one of us special properties that are designed to have an effect in the areas that we touch. What does salt do?

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BE PATIENT

When we are patient with others we give them breathing room.
When we are impatient we generate more pressure for people and they distance themselves from us.
We need to be patient with people.
When we are patient, people can begin to feel that they have the support and the space to be able to move in the right direction.
1 Thessalonians 5:14 Dear brothers, warn those who are lazy, comfort those who are frightened, take tender care of those who are weak, and be patient with everyone.
The Bible tells us that one of the characteristics of love is that love is patient.
This patient love can be a source of hope to others.

PRAY FOR EACH OTHER

Prayer is such a wonderful thing.
It is very reassuring to know that others are praying for you.
When you are praying for someone else, you become a source of hope for them and the situations that they may be facing.
Find out what those around you are facing and offer to pray for them. The results will amaze you!
James 5:16 Admit your faults to one another and pray for each other so that you may be healed.

LIGHT IN DARKNESS

When we become a source of hope and a people of hope for others, light penetrates the darkness and brings hope.
Isaiah 58:10 Help those in trouble! Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you shall be as bright as day.
But it is far more than just this.
When we become a source of hope to others, our own darkness begins to disappear.
In other words, we will have hope within us as we begin to give hope to others.
1 John 2:8 as we obey this commandment, to love one another, the darkness in our lives disappears and the new light of life in Christ shines in.

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BE FLEXIBLE

If we are going to be a people of hope we will need to be flexible.
People who are unaccommodating bring condemnation and hopelessness to others.
Often times when people are going through difficulty, others do not fully understand the magnitude of the difficulty.
Under these circumstances judgment is easily made without a real understanding.
We need to remain flexible and make allowances for others and the things that they are facing.
Ephesians 4:2 Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.
In this way we can be a source of hope for others.

CARRY THE LOAD

Here is another way in which we can be a source of hope to others.
We can play a role in carrying the load and sharing the burden.
I once heard someone say that ‘a joy shared is a joy doubled and a problem shared is a problem halved’.
We can be a source of hope as we carry the burdens of others.
This involves effort and may mean that we have to go the extra mile.
As Christians this is how we are called to live.
Galatians 6:2 Share each other’s troubles and problems, and so obey our Lord’s command. (Living Bible)
Galatians 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens. (KJV)

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ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER

One way, in which we can be a people of hope, is to be a source of encouragement to others.
I have discovered that it is a matter of those, who are a little stronger, encouraging those, who are a little weaker.
Another thing that I have discovered is that those who are a little stronger can become those who are a little weaker.
It is for this reason that when we are feeling a little stronger, that we be a source of strength and hope to others, so that they in turn can be a source of hope and strength to us when we feel weak.
We must seek out opportunity to encourage and give hope to others.
Hebrews 10:24 Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
Trust God to give you creative ways to reach out and encourage others.
Isaiah 35:3-4 With this news bring cheer to all discouraged ones. Encourage those who are afraid. Tell them, “Be strong, fear not, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.”

BE KIND

Kindness is another way in which we can bring hope to others.
We live in a ruthless world where everyone is concerned about himself or herself.
Selfishness is the dominant sin.
When we begin to show kindness we begin to reverse the effects of selfishness and create an opportunity for God to touch the lives of others.
As we show kindness we can become a source of hope and a people of hope to others.
Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God has forgiven you because you belong to Christ.
I have discovered that everyone responds to kindness.
I remember once reading a quote in a diary. It said: ‘Be gentle with everyone, for everyone is facing his or her own challenges’.
Become a person of hope as you show kindness to others.

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God wants each of us to live with hope in our hearts.
This fresh hope is available to each of us.
As this divine hope becomes a reality to us, we can in turn become a source of hope to others.
Those who are battling with a loss of hope need to be helped by those who are full of hope.
If we are connected to the source of hope, God, then we can become a source of hope to those around us.
We can play a role in restoring the hope of others.

FULL OF HOPE

This is how God intends us to live. With an abundance of hope in our hearts.
Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him.
When a glass is full of water it begins to overflow.
This overflow is the abundance of hope that can touch others lives and brings them to a place of wholeness and hope.
We need to make sure that hope is alive and well within our own hearts.
Each of us is called to be a person of hope, bringing hope to those around us.

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MAKE YOURSELF AVAILABLE

Make time for your family. Fit them into your plans and schedule. Make it real to them that they are a priority to you. They want to be with you, but the curse of the modern age is that we are all too busy. Never be too busy. Let your time together be a happy time. Look for things to do together and spend time together.

PRAY FOR THEM

Pray for your children. Ask God to bless, lead and guide them. Pray for their health and their wellbeing. Don’t stop praying for them. Expect God to come through for each of them. Ask God to make Himself and His presence real to them. If God is real to your family, they will follow Him.

If you have a PRAYER REQUEST, please send us an e-mail at Prayer@AliveToGod.com  For more information about Alive to God, or to subscribe to our free DAILY BIBLE VERSE, please visit www.AliveToGod.com

HELP YOUR CHILDREN

Give assistance to your children and help them. Don’t be a scorekeeper by remembering everything that you have done for them. Help them unconditionally. Help them and expect nothing in return. Help them, help them some more and keep on helping them. Giving help is your privilege and a blessing.

BE INTERESTED

Show a genuine interest in what is happening in their lives. Be interested in their dreams and visions. Speak about them and what they are doing. Let conversation revolve around them. Be effectively involved with their interests. Have a share in what they are doing. Be concerned for them. Never be aloof or indifferent. Get involved and get your hands dirty.

If you have a PRAYER REQUEST, please send us an e-mail at Prayer@AliveToGod.com  For more information about Alive to God, or to subscribe to our free DAILY BIBLE VERSE, please visit www.AliveToGod.com

BE HAPPY FOR THEM

When they accomplish something or get something right be happy for them. Be exited for them. Make every effort to make sure that they succeed.  Be happy for them when they surpass your own level of success. Be genuinely interested and happy for them in what they do. Perhaps their interests differ from yours or what you had hoped they would be, be happy for them. Be happy for them.

SEE YOUR FAMILY AS A TEAM

Each member fulfils and different function. There are different roles. The family is not a boss/employee relationship. It is a father/son relationship. Give your team members opportunity. Pursue winning as a team. When one member wins we all win. Don’t be threatened by the progress of any one member. Be a team. Stand together. Make the weak look good and the strong look better. This is what team is all about.

If you have a PRAYER REQUEST, please send us an e-mail at Prayer@AliveToGod.com  For more information about Alive to God, or to subscribe to our free DAILY BIBLE VERSE, please visit www.AliveToGod.com